Hot Iron
by Bomani Akila Neteru
Summary: She was like hot iron, easily manipulated when molten and strong when cold. But everyone knows that when iron is forged poorly, it shatters. Ironhide/Handicapped!OC Sequel to Pierce My Silence and Hear Me
1. Tell The World I'm Coming Home

Chatter rose above the bustling bodies of human flesh. Shoving against one another to get to their destinations and yelling out rude obscenities, they showed no signs of politeness. No sign of regard for their fellow man. The airport was not a friendly place to be. Besides the loud noises and dangerous crowdedness, there was also the smell. Disgusting and irritating, the scent of sweat mingling with dirt and cigarette smoke permeated the area.

Beyond that, there wasn't much to the dirty, dingy, overly active air port located in New York City. The smells, sights and sounds were all gross and none of the people within were very interesting. Anyone could easily sink into the crowd and blend in without issue. That is, if you were to walk among them; if you were to brave the sickening blend of sweaty nastiness and press of disgusting bodies on your own.

In a darkened corner, away from the bustle of human flesh, unconcerned with blending in, sat a hunched over form stared out blankly from beneath a large leather jacket's hood. If not for the open, blankly staring gray eyes and the cigarette hanging limply from firm, slightly scarred lips, one would think that the figure was asleep. It certainly held still enough to warrant concern. Only the very slow flaring of the nostrils when the being inhaled assured those nearby of the fact that it was, in fact, still breathing. Not that anyone took much notice.

Few cared for strangers anymore.

One knee was drawn up, the other laid out curved in front of the foot of the first leg, the arm on the same side thrown up over the knee while the other laid over the person's waist, covered by the jacket's edge, combined with the slumped body and beat up, baggy, black leather jacket, easily spoke of laidback nonchalance. Those that had keener sight could easily pick up on the riding tension and anger hidden beneath. Tension, unspoken that vibrated beneath the surface. Dark, stormy gray, shadowed eyes stared out at those passing with a glazed over, haunted look that practically screamed lack of sleep.

Beneath the edge of the hood, stringy black, slightly greasy hair hung in short, icky strands around the human's face. The occasional plum of smoke exited the slightly open mouth, adding to the feel of relaxed, laid-backness that the figure seemed to possess and exude. Along with an underline of inviting violence.

A loud beep of noise sounded above the din of chattering and yelling, easily drowning it all out. The voice that followed called for the boarding of a plane that was leaving. Jerking to a state of alertness, the figure swung to her feet gracefully, and began to head in that direction. It was clearly female, if the curves hiding beneath the large jacket was anything to go by. Not that there were many. She was broad shouldered, and was not too heavily endowed in any shape or form. Not to mention unusually tall and muscled for a female.

Average. She was average. And that suited her just fine.

No luggage was with her besides the clothes on her body and the large military backpack hanging on to her by one strap. Everything about her looked worn and used, as if she had had it all for a long time. Others avoided her- whether subconsciously or consciously- they seemed to feel that she was either trouble, or dangerous.

Again, it suited her just fine. She hated people, after all.

Just before getting in line to board the plane, the woman pulled the cigarette from her lips and smushed it before throwing it away. It was slightly difficult, as the nicotine stick stuck to her flesh for a moment before it was pulled off. Scrunching her nose slightly in irritation, the brunette quickly disposed of the cancerous item and proceeded to board the plane after handing off her ticket with a relaxed, easy going disposition.

Her assigned seat was, thankfully, next to a window in the middle of the plane. She had only just settled her lanky, broad backed body into said seat when someone fell into the seat next to her. The woman sunk back into the padding, drawing her arms around herself and more than happy to simply wait the trip out in silence. The man now sitting next to her, however, didn't seem to agree. The moment he set eyes on her, he opened his mouth to speak and rattle off to her like he had planned the entire time.

Whatever he was about to say, however, sucked itself right back down his throat.

Dark, nearly black, hollow, sunken eyes glared out at him in a cold and threatening matter. The message was quite clear. 'Speak to me and I'll sock you in the throat. Security be damned.'

Silence- and justice- prevailed for the rest of the trip.

Fifteen hours later and they had touched down in some 'middle of nowhere' airport. The man sitting next to the strangely silent and borderline violent woman was one of the first to scurry off as quickly as possible. The woman herself, however, took her time. She waited until most of the other passengers had disembarked before languidly getting to her feet and striding lazily off the plane. Words couldn't describe her relief at finally being back on the ground.

Flying was, admittedly, a phobia of her's that she would never rightly admit to.

Once out of the vicinity of the plane, she made it her business to acquire cigarettes and have a smoke. Thankfully, it wasn't too difficult, and thirty minutes later she was sitting on a bench just outside of the airport with a cancer stick in hand, taking drags off of it. Legs apart, elbows resting on her knees, her right hand tucked away beneath her jacket, the woman hunched over in an exhausted, desolate manner. Her blank gaze followed the smoke trail of the cancer stick without really seeing it as she slowly smoked the disgusting tobacco product.

With all the patience of a Jedi master, the brunette sat, nearly brooding, and waited for what seemed like forever. Her shadowed, heavily bagged eyes gazed out at the dark and silent parking lot. Behind her, however, roared the ever animated, ever busy airport. It was easily ignored, drowned out like the white noise it was.

Before long, a large black truck pulled into the parking space diagonal to her hunkered form. She paid it no mind.

The driver door swung open, and a lanky military like man stepped out with all the confidence and power of a naturally born leader. Still, she did not look in his direction directly; instead choosing to watch him out of the corner of her eye as she took another drag off of the cigarette in her left hand. He waited a moment, as if giving her a chance to address him directly on her own terms. When she did not, he strode forth so that he was a mere three feet from her hunched over body. For a minute, neither of them spoke.

"Aelia Rex, right?" His voice was warm and friendly. In response, Aelia grunted and turned her head and eyes to him fully, taking in his military shaved head, casual attire and relaxed yet ready stance. She blew out a cloud of smoke lazily and crushed the cigarette bud against the bench, throwing it in the trash can to the side of the bench.

"And you might be _who_ exactly?" For a female voice, Aelia's was rather deep and raspy in nature. It wasn't awful, per se, but it certainly wasn't what one who expect her to sound like. Her voice was rough, like thunder rumbling in the distance, and just as low as well.

It was as if she didn't speak often, and wasn't used to doing so.

"William Lennox. I'm your Aunt Geneva's neighbor. She asked me to pick you up." He cleared his throat, as if unsure of how to proceed, "Just call me Will."

"Call me Lia." The woman grunted, and slowly got to her feet. Her entire body cracked, snapped and popped as it unfolded from the position it had rested in for the past half hour or so. The sounds seemed to disturb Will, who watched her with an uncertain expression.

"Thank you for coming out to get me." It was a simple thank you, and yet it somehow carried a lot more weight than he expected.

Something told him that she didn't thank people often, or apologize for that matter.

"Nice truck." Aelia nodded her head towards the giant, black, hulking vehicle that Will had arrived in. He grinned a little, as if amused by an inside joke that she couldn't hope to even begin to get or understand.

"Thanks. Its got a few, uh… problems, though. A bit of an attitude, really." She snorted in response, but said no more on the matter. Instead, he gestured for her to climb up into the truck as he headed for the driver's seat. Together, they slipped into the vehicle. Lia watched, disinterested and borderline lifelessly as he started up the truck.

It responded beautifully, the engine roaring to life and rumbling richly beneath them.

Will reached over, dragged the seat belt to him, and clicked it into place at his side. He waited a moment, patiently. Then, when it was obvious that Aelia was not following suit, he sent her a stern look. Rolling her eyes, the twenty to thirty some odd year old woman reached over and proceeded to buckle herself in. Seemingly pleased, Lennox shifted the truck into 'reverse' and started backing out of the parking lot.

Turning her head away from the driver at her side, Aelia leaned her head on the doorframe and gazed out at the passing world. Her body ached and her head throbbed from lack of nicotine- despite having _just_ smoked- and the long houred flight plus lack of sleep. She couldn't even remember the last time she had eaten. Had it really been so long ago that she had been at her own rather shitty apartment, curled up in an armchair and playing Minecraft on the Xbox 360, zoned out?

It seemed so long ago.

Aelia still couldn't believe she was here, let alone the circumstance of _why_ she was here. She grimaced at the passing streetlights as they whizzed past. Her uncle, one of her last, few remaining relatives, had died under strange circumstances. Aelia, having been raised by her aunt and uncle, felt she should at least be present during the funeral and be there to support her now widowed aunt. The woman was reportedly babbling fearfully about some strange alien crap that Aelia honestly didn't believe for a second.

Still, her aunt was probably of fragile mind for the moment, and would need whatever support she could give her. Despite this, Aelia was truthfully not looking forward to the next few days. The media had been swarming the poor woman who had raised her, like sharks drawn to blood, and they weren't likely to leave them alone. The thought brought a scowl to Lia's face as she squeezed her hidden right hand with her left. It was throbbing at the moment, and rather painful, thanks to the change in air pressure and temperature.

Arthritis was a bitch.

"So, how are you holding up?" Will cleared his throat before speaking, as if unused to the silence that now permeated the air. Aelia sighed through her nose, already missing the quiet, and straightened up in her seat to fully begin the conversation that the man clearly wanted to fill the void with. "I'm fine." The grunt had him nodding awkwardly. Too tired to keep sitting up properly for long, Aelia quickly sunk back into the seat.

"You were raised by your aunt and uncle, right? It must be hard…" He trailed off,

"Not really." The sigh that left her was raspy and tired, she was just so fed up with idiotic statements like that, "People die. It's the way the world turns, that's all." she shrugged her shoulders, tone cynical. It drew her a confused, questioning look from Lennox. However, Aelia was already quite done with the conversation, and, not wanting to give him any openings to continue, left it at that and ignored him.

The rest of the drive passed silently, and rather awkwardly on Will's part.

When they pulled into her Aunt Geneva's driveway and shut the truck down, Aelia Rex was the first one out of the vehicle. Swinging down from the door, she dropped, crouched, to the ground. Her knees absorbed the impact as they bent, and she waited a split second to allow for recovery time before drawing herself to her full height of just under six feet.

It was dark and strangely silent around the house.

Unusual, Aelia noted, for the TV was usually on as background noise inside the home. Now, however, it was off, which was, in and of itself, a miracle of sorts. It was pitch black inside, and the motion sensor light outside was the only thing on at the moment. Stuffing her left hand into her pocket, her right arm tucked over her stomach and under her jacket still, Aelia moved up the driveway and to the front door. She could hear Will moving up after her some three feet behind; and keeping a steady distance.

Lifting her left hand from her pocket, she made a fist and made three short, loud knocks on the heavy, green door. Two seconds later a light flickered on within the home and a shadow moved over the pool of light now falling out of the window. A moment more and the door swung open, revealing a haggard looking, gray haired woman. Wrinkles were spread at the corners of her eyes in crow's feet and at the sides of her mouth, obvious signs of smiling and laughing throughout her life. Once she laid eyes on Aelia, however, she was quick to wrap her up in a hug.

"Lia my darling! Oh it's so good to see you, dear! How have you been? Come in, come in!" Releasing the woman who was halfway hugging her back with one arm, Aunt Geneva quickly ushered her into the house,

"Thank you so much, Mr. Lennox. You're welcome to come by anytime, you hear? Come by soon, alright?" Aelia sighed heavily through her nose as she listened to the warm words of her caretaker. Without hesitation, she strode into the living room and settled down on the couch, slumping over as exhaustion set in.

It had been a long flight, a long drive, and an even longer night.

She could feel it weighing down on her.

After a few minutes she heard her aunt shut the door and make her way over to the living room. As she moved, there was the sound of a truck starting and taking off out of the driveway, signifying Lennox's leave.

Then there was silence as Aunt Geneva stood behind her. She leaned over and hugged her niece close after a mere moment, arms trembling against her with grief. In response, Aelia raised her left hand and placed it gently on one of the arms, the other remaining tucked in the inside of her jacket as always, protected from the outside world.

They stayed that way for some time, simply basking in the comfort traversing between them. It wasn't long, though, before her aunt was forced to let go and stand up straight. "The shower is open to you, honey, and there are clean clothes in your old room if you need them. Make yourself at home." Aunt Geneva's voice quaked as she spoke, revealing her sadness and pain at her husband's passing. Aelia nodded quietly, not trusting her voice for the moment. Seeming to understand, the old woman moved off towards her own room, leaving Aelia to her own devices until morning came.

Sighing heavily again, this time out of her mouth, the woman swung to her feet and headed to what had once been her room. It left her feeling somewhat nostalgic, something she hadn't felt in a long, long time. Too tired to shower or change at the moment, despite the grease and nastiness that was clinging to her, she chose instead to collapse into the bed and fall asleep.

Tomorrow, Aelia thought, tomorrow would be better.

But, as always, _it was a lie_.

 **(AN: Shhhh, just let me do this. Just let me enjoy life, okay? Okay. Just let Bo take care of you, bby. S'gonna be so good, you'll see.**

 **I know, I know. 'Hear Me isn't finished, wtf are you doing you cunt?!' eh, shhhh.**

 **Hear Me is def gonna get the most of my attention, but this story has like, 5 chapters completed and has been sitting in the depths of my files for like, 2 years and I've been DYING to share it with you all. Your lucky I waited until Pierce My Silence was finished and Hear Me was updated.**

 **On another note, Aelia is based on my grandfather and his disability, I was sitting with him one day a long time ago and he was telling me about what happened and how his hand changed his very lifestyle.**

 **Needless to say, I was inspired. So; throw up your feet, grab a cup of coffee or tea or whateva you like to drink and lets settle in for some Ironhide action, okay? :D**

 **Pssssst; leave me a review, okay? c: I love that shit.)**


	2. I Will Manhandle You, Bitch

Aelia woke up feeling rather nasty. Her hair was greasy, her body covered in sweat thanks to the heat of the summer night, and her clothes stinking of said bodily fluids. What was worse, however, was _how_ she had woken up. For a moment she laid seething on the bed, wanting to murder the person talking at the front door.

"Now, Mrs. Rex, concerning the death of your late husband-"

"I already told you! I won't be answerin' none of your questions! Go away!" There was the sound of a scuffle. Apparently her aunt was trying to shut the door on the noisy idiots that called themselves reporters.

Drawing herself from the bed, the rather slim, but broad woman made her way to the front door. The first thing she noted, was that her frail aunt was trying to shove the larger and obviously stronger reporter and cameraman back away from the door so she could shut it on their faces. The sight made her blood boil.

Aelia had always been impulsive and a hot head. She didn't think of the consequences and tended to do what she pleased without thought of what could happen. So it was no surprise as to what her next set of actions were.

Stomping forward, hell bent on smashing someone's face in, Aelia easily moved her aunt aside- though in a gentle manner- and was soon towering over the rather short, pudgy man and his slightly taller but not much thinner companion. Growling deeply in her chest, the much taller, muscular woman grabbed the reporter by the front of his shirt with her left hand, ignoring his quickly paling face and squeaked out protests. Right hand tucked away under her plain white t-shirt, Aelia stepped forward and flung him away from the house with a grunt and quick flex of her hand and wrist.

As though he were _nothing_.

The reporter flailed as he flew backwards through the air, and landed, sprawled out, upon the cemented sidewalk, at the feet of William Lennox. Said man stood, eyebrows raised with an expression of amusement painted on his face, looking down at the pathetic puddle of flesh that was squawking in apparent pain. Baring her teeth in a barbaric show of satisfaction, Aelia turned to the cameraman with a grim chuckle. Her intent rather clear. He paled, swallowed thickly, and was quick to flee down the two cement steps at the front of the door, and past his companion, racing for the white van they had apparently arrived in.

Screaming something along the lines of 'gonna sue you' and 'this isn't over', the reporter fled after his partner. He was lucky enough to leap into this passenger seat before the vehicle took off. It didn't take much thought to realize that his friend would've left him there without so much as a 'goodbye' tossed out after him.

Aelia watched them leave with a grin, pleased with her work. Completely ignoring a now laughing Lennox and her stunned aunt, the woman then made her way to the shower, intent on completing her next order of business now that the noise had been taken care of. Somewhere behind her, she was aware of her gentle hearted aunt Geneva scolding Lennox for his laughter, and his choked out apology in reply that he clearly didn't mean. The apparent lack of sincerity in his voice was entertaining. Snorting in her own amusement, Aelia was quick to grab a set of clothes for herself and slip into the bathroom, making sure to lock it behind her out of many years of habit and precaution.

The shower was heavenly.

Aelia loathed to leave it, but after forty five minutes of shaving and washing; not to mention pruning, she had no choice in the matter. Taking a deep breath of the steam filled air and bracing herself, the brunette stepped out of the stream of hot water. Once out in the cold, she shut it off and quickly wrapped herself in the towel. She stopped short however, of getting dressed when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Used to herself, she wasn't surprised by what she saw. But that didn't mean that she was happy with it.

For a woman, Aelia was rather tall, standing at about six feet even- thanks to her Amazonian ancestors- with broad shoulders and few feminine features. Her body features were either average or below average, such as her bust size and hip width. The cheekbones in her face were high and the skin was pulled taut over them, giving her face a shadowed and rather haunted look. Her eyes were large, sharp, sunk in, and dark, like deep pits. Aelia's black hair, which had been stringy and greasy before, was now dripping wet and shiny, looking clean and smelling much better. Her right hand was hidden beneath the towel, and the brunette felt too sick to her stomach to pull it out and look at it.

She had seen enough of it already.

The rest of the woman's skin was tight and had very little give over her entire body, speaking of long hours spent exercising and a healthy, if small diet. The tanness revealed that much of her time was spent in the sun, and the scars littered over her body, marring the surface of the skin, told stories of accidents and fights alike. Aelia wasn't, by any normal definition, pretty. Most would call her deformed or even ugly. The thought had her jaw clenching, revealing a pale scar that ran from just beneath her ear, and followed along her jawline, down to within a half inch of her chin. The light gave it a shimmering a look, and furthered Aelia's anger.

Rather than break the mirror with her fist- her aunt was rather fond of it- the woman quickly turned away and began to dress herself in a hurried fashion. Undergarments went on first, and they fit easily enough; then came the shirt and pants. The simple, red collared, long sleeved, button up shirt fit her well, despite her broad, heavy set shoulders, and the dark blue jeans were a bit tight, though she made due.

From there, she padded out of the bathroom and to her bedroom. Quickly, she found clean socks and her knee high military boots. They were nearly worn out, and it looked as though if Aelia wasn't careful, she'd soon have a hole in the toe of the left boot.

The woman ignored it, however, and simply pulled them on and tied them up. Once the socks and shoes were on, she rolled to her feet with a grunt and headed to the living room to face her Aunt Geneva. Chances were she was going to get scolded for her hasty actions, but Aelia couldn't find it in her to care. It was what Uncle would've done, she told herself, feeling no guilt for what had transpired. They had been harassing her aunt and attempting to force themselves into their home. Uncle probably would have done worse.

Knowing him, he probably would've gotten the shotgun.

Satisfied, Aelia swung into the living room and plopped down on the couch opposing her aunt who was sitting on the other one. Lennox was stretched out in a large armchair off to the side, talking with the old woman. With a jolt of guilt, Aelia wondered how well her aunt and uncle had been since she left for New York, following the promise of a good job. She had not ever had the time to visit, and had barely even spoke with them over the phone. While nothing passed over her face to give away her ill feelings; the woman wondered if she even deserved to be at her uncle's funeral, after what she had done?

Aelia hadn't even seen him in so long.

The job had not even been a very good one when compared to the rent required to live in New York, and all the high prices that came with everything. In fact, it hadn't even been worth it. Still, Aelia had been stubborn and hardheaded. She had been determined to make it work, and had stuck with it. And now? Now she had no job, her uncle had died, and her aunt was a wreck. Hell, she herself was a wreck. What would she do after the funeral? Where would she go? The questions were endless, and she had no answers.

Her future was unknown, without even the slightest of hints. All she knew was that she couldn't go back to New York. Her apartment was gone- Aelia might as well be homeless.

"Aelia Jade Rex! Are you listening to me?" Startled, said woman fixated back on her aunt, eyebrows raised and eyes wide. The old woman was scowling, hands in her lap, and clearly unamused.

"Sorry Aunt Geneva. I was caught up in my own thoughts." The quiet apology seemed enough for the older female, who sighed heavily and leaned back on the couch, face weary and far more wrinkled than usual. Another surge of guilt.

"You need to pay attention child." The scolding was half-hearted, however. If this had happened on a normal day, her uncle would have chimed in, laughing, and told her aunt that it was perfectly acceptable for a child to daydream and to leave the young girl alone.

But there was no uncle. And this wasn't a normal day.

"Sorry Aunt Geneva." The murmur had the other woman sighing and turning back to Will. Aelia's eyes narrowed. Just before he had turned back to answer some inquiry her aunt had made, Lia could have sworn she saw a glimmer of pained guilt in the man's expression. It made her suspicious. He didn't seem like the type to feel bad for everyone's misfortunes if it wasn't his fault- sympathetic perhaps, but not misplaced guilt- and she couldn't think of a reason as to why he would be feeling such a thing. Shrugging it off for the moment and making a mental note to keep an eye on the strange visitor that seemed too keen on sticking around, Aelia turned back towards her aunt and the conversation pertaining between the two.

They spent the day quietly. Will, however, left an hour later after her Aunt Geneva promised that they would have supper with his family that evening, as his wife had insisted on. The rest of the day was mostly filled with funeral arrangements and the like between Aelia and the older woman. It was to take place in a week or so, and much needed to be done before then.

The twenty-eight year old groaned quietly and rubbed her face, grizzly voice rumbling deeply in distress. Her aunt smiled slightly and gently kneaded her niece's tense shoulders. She was grateful that she had arrived shortly after she had called for her, and she felt great joy, for she hadn't seen her charge in some few years. It sadden Geneva, however, that Aelia hadn't come back under better circumstances. Her uncle would have loved to see her again, as the two had been somewhat close. Not the closest; but enough that she was sure his passing hurt more then just a bit.

The thought made the old woman want to bury her face in her niece's hair and cry.

It hurt. It hurt bad.

"Aunt Geneva?" The soft, raspy rumble that was her charge's voice brought her from the brink of tears, allowing her to focus on the present,

"Why don't you sit down? I'll fix lunch." Before the newly widowed woman could answer, she was being guided into a chair, and Aelia was in the kitchen. Lord bless that child, Geneva thought to herself, she truly didn't know what she'd do without her.

In the kitchen, Aelia carefully put together a simple lunch. Anything too complex would be burned and ruined. Cooking had never been one of her strong points, to be honest, and it was likely that she would never get better at it thanks to her disinterest in the subject. Slapping together a few sandwiches on a plate, the woman cleaned up after herself and then carried the food into the living room where her aunt sat quietly, lost in her own thoughts. When the plate was placed down, however, Geneva jerked out of her unfocused state and joined her in eating. Aelia was quick to do the cleaning, knowing her aunt to be old and needing rest.

That wasn't to say that Geneva fully appreciated it. But she was, in fact, beginning to wish that Lia would let her do some of her own work. Knowing her, Aelia wasn't likely to let her do much while she was staying with her.

A couple hours later, however, the old woman had her revenge. Because Aelia refused to wear any sort of dress- she didn't even look good in them like most girls did, a fact that angered and frustrated her- her aunt forced a tie on her. On top of that, she had to tame the wild forest that was her hair and pull it into a short, wolf tail ponytail.

But that wasn't _nearly_ as bad as the tie.

Scowling in the mirror, the young woman fought with the scrap of cloth, grumbling curses under her breath. Geneva was making her dress 'nicely' and had thus made her wear a nice pair of black church shoes, black slacks, and a blue, striped, button up, collared work shirt. The tie itself was of soft material and was of a solid black so as to match the rest.

Enraged and frustrated, Aelia was close to ripping the damn thing off and yelling 'fuck it' when her aunt quietly entered the room and gently took the inanimate, though far from innocent object from Lia's clenched hands and carefully tied it herself. The result was beautiful and professional, unlike Aelia's clumsy attempts with one hand. Her other was tucked under the edge of her shirt and out of sight, just like she wanted it.

It was useless anyway. The damn appendage couldn't even tie shoes much less anything else.

"Aelia…" Aunt Geneva sighed, "Come now, this needs tucked in. You can't hide it away forever." The words made Lia's jaw clench, but she didn't fight her dearly beloved aunt, who gently pulled the right hand from its hiding place and tucked the button up shirt into place. Then, with a tender touch, she took the deformed appendage in both of her own and held it up to the light, near her face, where she could see it clearly. It made Aelia nervous, but she fought down the natural instinct to hide the unnatural, twisted appendage from the world. It disgusted her, and as such, she never wanted anyone to see it.

The entirety of the right limb itself was shorter than the left by about two inches, though no one could tell unless the two arms were held up side by side. The first thing one thought when they gazed upon the right hand was that it had been crushed by some unrelenting force. The fingers were all forced into a sort of claw position, like they had been mashed into place, but were forced further back than if someone had simply held up their hand in that way.

It was impossible for Aelia to unbend them, as they were, indeed, stuck in that position; as the bone had been crushed. The pinkie of that hand was missing, as if it had been cut off. The skin where it had once been was smooth and shone in the light, as if it had been scalded by severely hot water.

Movement of this hand was restricted. While Lia could grab some small things, and even play console video games as the thumb of her right hand was still operable unlike the other fingers of the hand, it was _extremely_ difficult to **let go** of something once she had a hold of it. The ligaments in the appendage just didn't work right anymore.

Ashamed and unable to continue looking at the disgusting remains of her hand, Aelia averted her eyes, swallowing down the lump of pain in the back of her throat. She had tried to be a hardass all of her life, ever since she had received the life changing wound when she was but sixteen; but the truth of the matter remained that she was still sensitive about the limb and what it looked like.

No matter how much she tried to hide it, Lia was still a woman, and she still cared about how she looked, at least to some small degree.

Raising her hands to cup her niece's face, Geneva gently turned her charge's face so that she was looking at her. Even as her head moved, Aelia lowered her hand back down to her side and tried not to think about it. If she didn't think about it, she wouldn't become so absorbed with it and wouldn't worry so much about what other people thought about it.

Geneva held Lia's face there for some few minutes, merely smiling quietly and seeming to be waiting for something. After a moment, the old woman spoke.

"There now, it isn't so bad. You still have your hand, Aelia, and what's more, you saved two lives that day with it. You have much to be proud of." The younger female lowered her head against the hold of her guardian.

"I know. But it still hurts." The dark murmur drew a soft expression of empathy from the older woman,

"It'll be okay dearie." She patted one of the cheeks of the youth before releasing her face, "Now come on, we've got a supper date to be at." And no more was said on the subject, of which Aelia was grateful for. Together, they entered Aunt Geneva's old, battered pickup truck, started it, and pulled out of the driveway in quiet companionship.

They made their way to the Lennox's in silence, though it was comfortable and welcome on both parts. When they arrived at the country home and pulled up to park beside the black truck that was Will's and a strange flame decorated semi, they shut off the truck and swung out. Aelia came around to her aunt's side and allowed the older woman to lean on her right, messed up arm, as they made their way up to the front door of the house together, side by side. Though Geneva said nothing of the matter, Lia knew she was nervous. She extended her left hand and patted the wrinkled, older one on her right, damaged arm.

It didn't take long to reach the top of the stairs. With a feeling of fluttering butterflies in her stomach, Aelia watched as her aunt raised a hand, and knocked upon the door before them.

 **(AN: Unlike Bobbi and Lilah, Aelia does not give a fuuuuuuuuuck! :D**

 **Omg, she's so fun to write. Like,** ** _so_** **much fun. I hope she's just as fun to read!  
I'ma go write somethin' else now c:)**


	3. Not Made For Awkward Dinners

The door swung open, revealing a child of twelve or thirteen years. She was short and thin, with a pixie styled hair cut and a rounded, cute face. With dirty blonde hair straightened, brown eyes bright, and a very nice white, sunflower decorated sundress to boot, it was clear she had been cleaned up and had been waiting for them.

"Come in!" Beaming, she stepped to the side and pulled the door open further. Nervously running a hand over her hair to make sure it was all still in place- though that wasn't necessary as it was so damn short and already _in_ something of a mess- Aelia stepped through the door with her aunt, unsure as to what exactly she was stepping into.

Her job done, the little girl shut the door and was quick to retreat further back into the house, sundress puffing up around her knees as she moved and little black dress shoes clicking against the hardwood flooring.

"Mom! Dad! They're here!" With all the energy of a typhoon, the child raced into what Aelia supposed was the kitchen of the house to alert her parents. Grumbling a bit to herself and rubbing the back of her neck, the young woman took in her surroundings as she waited with her aunt Geneva; feeling severely uncomfortable.

The house was pleasant and had a 'country' and 'homey' feel to it. Most of the floors were hardwood- from what she could see- with the exception of the living room, which had a soft gray carpet instead. The walls were painted a soft, off white-cream, giving it a relaxed sense that Aelia unfortunately wasn't feeling at the moment. It was nice, she had to admit, and the rooms weren't overly furnished. Not more than needed or cluttered, but rather just enough to serve the needs of those that lived here without seeming like it was straight out of one of those magazines about house decoration.

It actually _looked_ lived in.

Geneva pulled her from her observations with a careful tug of her arm when William came into the room, his wife- Aelia guessed- on his heels. She was a pretty woman with blonde hair and the clearest blue eyes she had ever seen. Will greeted them quickly before stepping outside, appearing to be in a hurry. His wife on the other hand, urged them both towards the living room area and around the corner to the back of the room.

"Sarah! It's so good to see you again!" Evidently pleased, Geneva was quick to pull the blonde into a hug when they stopped for a moment in the living room.

Sarah. Sarah Lennox. Aelia saved the name away for later use.

"It's good to see you again too, Geneva!" Grinning, the younger woman hugged Lia's aunt. Feeling awkward, the brunette allowed her eyes to wander. The living room had been partially hidden from the front door by a slight outjut of the wall. This obstruction hid two couches, a coffee table, a recliner and a TV from direct sight. Reclining on the couches across from each other, were two strange men that Aelia hadn't seen before.

One was broad- much more so than her- and stout. Heavy muscles accented all four of his limbs. His hair was black with streaks of gray near the temples and was in a short cut style- military, she guessed- the eyes were a bright blue, nearly glowing in their intensity. One had a huge scar going down it, making it look blind compared to the other.

Aelia had to wonder if he _was_ blind in the other eye.

Then again, now that she thoroughly examined him, she found his face and any other visible, tanned patches of flesh were covered in various other scars. They were far more violent and savage looking than her own; notably so, even. He was fascinating to look at, his body a storybook to her, begging to be read.

The other man, however, was a lot more… noble looking, in a strange way. The first thing that caught her attention was the vibes of command and gentle control coming off of him. This was a man who was in power without ever demanding to be in such a position; a natural born leader in every aspect of the word.

It was admirable.

His hair, however, was- if she had to describe it in one word- eccentric. It was a dark blue color that borderlined on black; the light shining on it brought out a more electric tone of shade. While most of his hair was this color, the bangs in front of his face differed greatly. Offsetting the blue, they were of a crimson red shade. All in all, it was rather shocking in its intensity. His eyes were an icy tone of blue, much like his companion's. He didn't have near as many scars over his paler skin as the other man, though, and seemed far more relaxed.

He still made her far more wary then the black haired male.

They were certainly an interesting pair of dinner guests, Aelia would give them that. Seeing as her aunt Geneva and Mrs. Lennox were done exchanging pleasantries, she turned back to them, hopefully not being seen while staring intently at the two men. _That_ would be awkward. "Sarah, this is my niece," And last living relative, Aelia silently added, "Aelia Jade Rex."

"Its nice to meet you, Miss Rex." Sarah smiled warmly and offered her hand to the other woman,

"Its nice to meet you too, Mrs. Lennox." Clearing her throat awkwardly, the brunette presented her left hand to the woman, hoping her voice wasn't too raspy or deep.

Rolling with it- much to Lia's respect and surprise- Mrs. Lennox switched hands in order to shake Aelia's hand.

Releasing her hand, the older woman shook her head insistently, "Please, just Sarah."

"Then just call me Aelia." The younger woman countered, drawing a grin from the blonde,

"Alright, Aelia. Oh! Geneva, these are Will's co-workers." without another moment's hesitation, the young woman fluttered over to the two men, preparing to introduce them to her two newest guests.

"Geneva, Aelia, this is Isaac," Sarah gestured to the scarred up man, who grumbled in response, "And Orion." The noble- the title was too fitting to _not_ refer to him as- Orion, smiled pleasant back at them. Lia inclined her head slightly to the two of them while Geneva chattered away with Sarah about this and that and something else concerning the supper and the guests and how life had been recently.

Not even a minute later, Sarah was whisking into the kitchen to finish up with the cooking, with aunt Geneva on her heels. Aelia stood there awkwardly for a moment before turning towards the front door, prepared to spend her time outside, smoking and enjoying the night air.

"Please, Miss Rex, some sit down. You're more then welcome to join us." Jerking her head around to look over her shoulder, the brunette found Orion smiling at her still, gesturing towards the spot on the couch next to him. Welcoming in every way without being overbearing. A gentle, noninvasive invitation that she felt she could turn down if she felt like it.

Contemplating for a moment, Aelia's eyes slid from one side of the room, to the other, considering and thinking. Finally deciding it might be best to socialize- not to mention stay where she could hear if her aunt needed her- she breathed out heavily through her nose, turned once more on her heels, and made her way over to the couch. Folding her long legs, the brunette took a spot farthest from Orion, feeling somewhat awkward and intrusive despite his easy going aura. What was she supposed to do? What was she supposed to say? What did she do with her hands? Dammit, she wasn't any good at this!

Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Aelia forcefully calmed herself. Control. Control was necessary.

Carefully, she folded her hands in her lap, taking great pains to cover her right one with her left. The deformity was an eyesore, and she had no desire to put it on display for all to see. For the next five minutes- though it felt like forever to the young woman- she listened to Isaac and Orion's brief yet intellectual conversation. It was interesting, in a way, even if she couldn't understand most of it. More often than not, the noble tried to pull her into the conversation as well; but Aelia was a quiet sort, and didn't have much to add to the discussion. Her answers were quiet and often short. She spoke maybe a handful of words during her time on the couch. She wasn't _used_ to talking to anyone; and words were something she often had trouble with regardless.

Aelia was a woman of _action_.

Surprisingly, it didn't offset the two males. They simply… _rolled_ with it.

But she rather enjoyed listening to the conversation at hand. Isaac's voice was a deep, growling rumble, while Orion's was equally low but with a far more soothing, tender edge. She paid attention as they talking about different strategies and the like. In everything from chess to the actual battlefield.

Though, Aelia couldn't see why they would need to; she believed that as long as she had enough firepower and discipline- _practice_ \- she could mow anyone down.

But that was just her belief.

After roughly thirty minutes had passed, they found themselves being herded into the dining room for supper by the little girl. She was peculiar, Aelia noted. Energetic and headstrong. Yet there was something off about her that she couldn't place. And it wasn't until she took her spot next to her aunt that it finally clicked into place. The girl had to sit next to Will and Sarah for it to fall into place; but Lia said nothing about it. It was not in her nature to point out such things without cause and possibly hurt someone's feelings or upset a family.

Still, she drew pride from being able to pick out what normally would go over anyone else's head. Especially since the little girl _did_ look so much like Will and Sarah.

"Aelia, this is Will and Sarah's little girl; Cindy, and their baby, Annabelle." Aunt Geneva introduced the young woman to the two children. Cindy, the dirty blonde in the sundress, smiled brightly and chirped out a hello. Annabelle was the little year or so old sitting in the highchair at the end of the table, right beside her mother. Offering an awkward smile, Lia did her best to entertain the tyke with a tiny wiggle of her fingers in greeting. The baby giggled and made little noises into her fist, watching the brunette. And when Sarah sat down next to her daughter; she was struck with how similar they were. It seemed Annabelle had gotten most of her looks from her mother, rather than her father.

Though she supposed that no matter who she got her looks from, she'd still be a beautiful baby. Her parents were quite the lookers themselves, after all.

The dinner was quiet, with only a soft murmur of occasional conversation. Most of the time it was between the Lennox's, or Orion and Geneva. Isaac prefered to stay quiet, Aelia had nothing to say, and the two daughters prefered to 'play' with each other during the meal. Though this consisted mostly of making funny faces at each other from across the table- and the tyke occasionally squealing happily and tossing food at her older sister.

Amused, the brunette said nothing on the matter and simply let them be themselves. They were children, after all, and it had been such a long time since she had seen such innocence. Aelia had a soft spot for any and all young kids. Something about them just drew her in.

Years of practice allowed the handicapped woman to eat with her left hand, and for the most part, she was able to keep her right under the table and out of sight. She had spent most of the evening keeping it hidden away, either under her other hand or behind the bulk of her body in some fashion. But as the dinner progressed, she became far more relaxed in the company of these kind people and began to use her right hand to eat as well.

With both, she no longer had to struggle as much to cut up the meat on her plate or get a spoonful of veggies.

After a few minutes of this, however, Cindy seemed to take note of her hand, and perked up. No one noticed the intent, curious look on her face as she watched Aelia finish up the food on her plate. When she began reaching for seconds, the young child decided to speak up.

"So what happened?" There was no vile intent behind the words. Only an innocent curiosity that was damn near painful. Lia felt herself stop; having suddenly lost her appetite, and slowly lowered both her hands to the table top, silverware clinking against her plate quietly. Still, she refused to hide her hand abruptly, like a guilty child. She was better then that.

"What do you mean?" With a raspy rumble, the young woman lowered her eyes to Cindy so they were level with one another.

A sign of respect, as she treated the young girl like an equal. Spoke to her as if she were an adult.

"Your hand of course." The statement was matter of fact, and it made Aelia's stomach drop further. Reflexively, her eyes darted to the twisted appendage before going back to the damned inquisitive look on the girl's face.

"Cindy Ray Lennox!" Aelia hadn't noticed the sudden, awkward silence that had fallen over the table until Sarah hissed at her daughter lowly, looking horrified. Lia didn't dare look at anyone else, instead keeping her gaze on the now confused child.

"What? I was just asking a question!" A defensive panicked tone came to Cindy's voice,

"We don't _ask_ questions like that!"

Aelia slowly, hesitantly raised her mangled right hand,

"It's alright. I don't mind. She's curious, yes? Children should be allowed to explore." The awkward words, Aelia felt, were necessary.

"You're sure?" The quiet murmur came from her side; her aunt Geneva. She nodded, assuring the woman of her conviction. Hesitantly, Sarah glanced from her daughter to Lia, unsettled and uncertain as to how she was supposed to take this. Will looked somewhere between curious and halfway mortified. Orion seemed concerned, and Isaac just looked intrigued, leaning back in his seat with his arms crossed; waiting.

Aelia lowered her right hand back down, running the fingers of her left over the deformed flesh of her left.

"There was an accident." She began heavily, "In the end, I sacrificed my arm to keep two boys safe. A young child and a teen the same age as me. I've had this for years; happened when I was about sixteen." Aelia paused, uncertain. She had never had to tell this story before. The words were clunky, unpracticed, and a part of her felt she sounded _stupid_ , or like she wasn't telling the story right.

"The… accident shattered most of my arm. The doctors rebuilt it as best they could from what was left, taking parts and pieces from the rest of my body to give me some semblance of a normal arm. But it… leaves much to be desired." She mentally patted her own back for making it through that. For the most part, she had kept it simple and child rated.

A simple explanation for a simple question, right?

Cindy looked from her hand, to her face, frowning,

"Weren't your mom and dad scared?"

"I didn't have them. I had my aunt and uncle."

"Were _you_ scared?" Cindy turned her questions onto Geneva,

"Oh, very, child." Lia's aunt assured her. Clearing her throat, Aelia rose to her feet, pushing her chair back.

"If you'll excuse me, I need a smoke." Her exhausted rasp gained a nod from Geneva and a look that clearly said to be careful. It made Aelia's lips twitch as they fought against a slight smile.

"Hey! You can't leave the table without asking mom!" Cindy looked up at the young woman with an indignant, stern, almost angry look. Deciding to humor her with no small amount of amusement, Aelia turned her attention to an uncertain and seemingly shell-shocked Sarah; raising her eyebrows in a silent inquiry, a little smirk playing on her scarred lips. The blonde nodded hurriedly, clearly wanting the discussion to end. It was apparently making her rather uncomfortable. Lia snorted inwardly; if _she_ felt uneasy, it would suck for her to be the one with malformed hand, now wouldn't it? Turning, she hurried from the dinner table and out the door to the outside.

Aelia had to rummage around her aunt's truck for the cancer sticks she desired.

But by the time she had them and was quickly lighting one up to smoke, she deemed it worth it. A deep drag later and Lia felt her entire being relax from the sudden injection of chemicals into her body. Blowing out a cloud of smoke, holding the cigarette in her right hand, between the crooked fingers, she used her left to sloppily loosen the tie around her neck.

Dammit. Dammit all.

The kid just had to ask about it, didn't she? But then again, Aelia shouldn't've been surprised. Children were naturally curious, and did tend to ask about her… deformity. But usually, either her aunt and uncle, or the children's parents were the ones to deflect such inquires. With Geneva as she was, Lia doubted she could've managed in that moment and Sarah and Will had enough on their plates with organizing the supper and having so many people over at once. Their brains probably fizzled out when the words hit the air. The thought made her snort in amusement, eyes rolling heavenward.

At least it went better then expected

Turning away from the passenger side of the truck, Aelia shut the door behind her, and headed to the bed to sit and smoke in peace. For the longest time, she merely puffed on the death stick, left alone to her own thoughts. Before long she had burned through one cigarette and was on another, the bud tossed somewhere in the very back of the bed, where it wouldn't pollute the ground. She would throw it away later. The disgusting, burning taste continued in her mouth from the new tobacco stick. Yet, as nasty as it was, she mused, she really couldn't stop smoking them without some pains, could she?

You would think it would be easy to stop such a foul habit. Maybe she should consider, for her aunt's sake?

Somewhere behind her, she heard a door open and close, and the sounds of footsteps drawing nearer.

"What do you need?" The gruff question made the footsteps halt not five feet from Aelia's right, around the side of the truck.

"Why don't you come back in and join us? It's time for dessert." Orion. From what she had gathered from her short time among them; he seemed like the diplomat of them all. Lia only gave him a grunt in response before sliding down from her perch, taking one last drag from her cancer stick, smushing it, tossing it after the first, and heading over to where he stood patiently. She brushed past him and started for the front door; he followed after her, footsteps echoing along the gravel driveway.

Together, they entered the house and came back to the table; door closing behind them. No more was said on the subject, having deemed it as a touchy topic, and the supper continued undeterred, albeit much quieter.

 **(AN: Because sometimes children ask awkward questions at events you really wish they wouldn't. Also, Aelia is 100% awkward but powers through because no one else is in the position to do so.**

 **Ironhide and Lia's first 'meeting' isn't exactly 'explosive' right off the bat. More like a firecracker that's just been lit. Its gotta get through the fuse first.** ** _This is were everyone else runs the fuck away, okay? Okay._**

 **Why am I awake? I shouldn't be awake.**

 **Please leave me a review I love that shit. :D)**


	4. Yer Shorter Than Me!

By the end of the meal, it was late, and the two children had been put to bed. Truthfully, Aelia was both relieved and glad. The entire thing had felt like a play. A charade she had to deal with and put up. It was exhausting and frankly irritating. Not something she liked nor wanted to continue doing.

But she had up until this point. Not only for her aunt Geneva, but little Cindy as well. Who had hugged her tightly around the waist- the highest point she could reach on the tall woman- and babbled out an apology. Aelia had no doubts the girl's parents had had a talk with her, and felt no small amount of guilt for it, despite it not being her fault.

Really, though, what else was she supposed to say about it?

In the end, she had simply patted the little girl on the end, gruffly reassured her that her questions had been fine and had not, in fact, 'hurt her feelings'. Aelia had had to refrain from snorting at that. She didn't think her feeling _could_ be hurt at this point. Hell, she didn't even know if she _had_ them anymore.

She entertained the thought regardless.

Then, when aunt Geneva began saying her goodbyes to the Lennox's, Aelia had simply gave a small grunt of 'thanks for having us', before going ahead and heading out to the truck. The old woman was bound to take her time talking to the couple. Aelia had grown used to her long goodbyes, having grown up waiting sometimes up to an hour before Geneva was ready to actually leave. It wasn't any surprise to the widow that her niece would go ahead and wait in the truck; it was what Aelia did every time, after all, ever since she was old enough to walk and get bored of meaningless conversation.

Aelia did not exactly _care_ for discussions without a direction. Small talk was… _irritating_.

Silence was something that she felt more people should have respect for, and indulge in.

Given her aunt's mental state of mind, and her sudden closeness to the family, Aelia was willing to best it would be at _least_ an hour before she was ready to leave. The brunette wasn't in irritated in the slightest about it; Geneva needed more friends in her opinion, and she was glad she had made some. But that didn't stop her from stepping just a little faster to the truck, and setting up in the bed again to wait.

Pulling out a cigarette and lighting it, Aelia held it tightly between her lips as she carefully tugged her sloppy tie completely free and let it hang around her neck like a snake. The wind tugged at it once in awhile, threatening to take off with it. Lia honestly couldn't have cared less if it did; the stupid thing had been trying to strangle her all evening.

Snorting, she took a long drag off of her cancer stick and leaned back slightly, allowing her normal, slouching posture to take over while she redid her wolf tail style ponytail.

"Mind if I join you?" The gruff voice from Lia's right was quiet; if she wasn't used to not showing when she was startled, she probably would have shrieked. As it was, her guts jumped a bit and a cold chill ran down her spine. Brushing it off with a grunt, Aelia plucked her death stick from between her lips and let out a large cloud of smoke,

"Yeah." her growled response was just as quiet, knowing he was close enough to hear her. Without another wasted word, Isaac made his way around the corner of the pickup and easily sat on the open bed beside her.

The man was quiet for several moments, matching Aelia's silence. There was a very faint tinge of tension between them, but he didn't push for conversation, and she was thankful for it. She was on her third drag when his voice cut through the silence.

"Those things will kill you, you know." the low grumble had her snorting,

"Noted, _dad_." her sarcasm came out low and amused.

Isaac rolled his eyes but stopped pushing the issue, simply choosing to eye her with slight annoyance from the corner of his vision.

Or rather; her cigarette, to be specific.

Just to piss him off a bit more, Aelia took an especially deep drag off of the dangerous addiction and let out a slow, large cloud of smoke. Careful to aim it up into the air, so as not to hit him with any of it. She wanted to antagonize him, not be rude.

There was a difference, and one she always took great care to acknowledge. You could be a little shit without honestly angering or hurting someone.

It seemed to do the trick; Isaac's eyes narrowed further and his nostrils flared slightly with irritation. Clearly he was less then pleased with Lia's gross habit. Not that she cared in the slightest. She never did. The woman did what she wanted, when she wanted, and how she wanted. If someone had a problem with it then too fucking bad.

"So, come over here for anythin' in specific?" Aelia grunted, a faint accent tickling the back of her throat as she reached up and unbuttoned the second button from her throat. The first had remained undone, to give her some breathing room, but she found that even with one undone, she still had trouble.

It only added to her unkempt, rumpled look. An appearance easily obtained between the buttons and her necktie. It would drive her aunt nuts, she knew.

A wince pulled at Aelia's expression. It had taken both hands to get the button free- the cigarette was hanging out of the side of her mouth- and her crumpled right hand had taken none too kindly to the action. She hated knowing that Isaac's keen eyes hadn't missed the movement. The twitch in her defenses.

Pity wasn't something she was looking for.

Thankfully, Aelia found none. Only a quiet gleam of kinship in those dark blue eyes; acceptable, she decided.

At last, the man continued the conversation at hand,

"Don't be ashamed of it, kid." the low growl was somehow comforting and soft, even as he parted wisdom that was hard to swallow, "We might walk away with scars others can't understand; but the lives we save are worth it in the end."

Aelia stopped cold. Her fingers shook around the cigarette, crushing it slightly. It was hard, so very hard. Pretending she was fine, even though she was most assuredly _not_. When all she wanted was to be whole again and have her damn hand back.

And yet… given the chance, would she change what she did?

Lia stilled, mind going over the hazy memories of when she was sixteen. No, no she wouldn't. In a heartbeat she would be right there between them and the explosion. She wanted to chuckle, to laugh.

Up until this point she had tried to ignore it, tried to _forget_ \- hell those around her had tried to just get her to forget, to deal with it by _not_ dealing with it- and this man, with a singular sentence, had sent it crashing to the ground. Like a mirror to the floor; now surrounding her feet with sharp glass shards.

Aelia chuckled, mentally pushing through the earth shattering realization. Emotional moments like this for her were normally few and far between, and she wasn't one to let them show or take control of her. So, like usual, she covered it up.

Because Lia couldn't stand for someone else to see so deeply into her, to act like they understood her- even if they actually did- and was quick to hide behind the walls she had spent her entire life building. It was the easy thing to do.

"Don't call me kid. I'm almost thirty." She snickered, putting the butt of her cancer stick out against the bed of the truck and tossing it in the back. Isaac snorted with an almost stone cold look, but let it go.

It was almost as if he knew _exactly_ what she was doing.

Groaning and pushing off to her feet, Aelia stretched, pointedly ignoring Isaac. He made her… nervous. Uneasy. It was like he knew _too much_. Those eyes were clear and could see right through her, regardless if one was clouded over with blindness.

It reminded Lia too much of her Uncle. And that was too much. She had to shove this stranger back to arm's length distance; she couldn't afford to let him any closer.

"Looks like aunt Geneva is about ready to go." Aelia ran a hand over the top of her wolf tail, musing aloud as she spotted the old woman headed their way; though she was still stopping to talk further with the Lennox's. Isaac just grunted and rose to his own feet, looking at ease.

"Yeah. Hope to see you around." It was a friendly pleasantry, and Aelia put no extra thought towards it,

"Uh huh." She mindlessly agreed.

They were quiet for a moment, before something came to her attention that had her snickering. Eyebrows raising, the scarred man gave her a questioning, inquisitive look, as though he were evaluating her sanity.

"I'm taller then you." Aelia wasn't quite sure why that pleased her so much,

"Are not." Isaac grunted defensively, his eyes narrowing, "Your just standing on a high spot."

"Fine, here, look; I'm still taller then you." Chortling, she stepped down from the 'high spot' and over onto his other side,

"You're not. I'm just in a low spot." Isaac was stubborn, and Aelia was beginning to notice it. It only made her grin grow wider.

"Then move."

"No."

"Afraid I'm right?"

"No, because I know you're wrong." He eyed her with a grimace, not enjoying this argument in the slightest while she had the time of her life annoying the shit out of him.

Aelia finally dropped the argument, snickering.

At last, Geneva made her way over to the two, looking flustered but smiling. Lia felt her own smile tugging at the edges of her lips, but forced it down. Smiling hurt; she didn't do it often. Not to mention it was awkward.

"Ready to go, hun?" The older woman spoke with affection, her eyes twinkling mischievously,

"Yes, auntie. Are you done saying your goodbyes?" Lia peeked over her guardian's shoulder, spying Orion quietly giving his own farewell to the kind couple.

"I am." Geneva nodded, her soft look never leaving, "Let's get going then. It's late and I'm tired."

"Let me drive then." Grunting, Aelia began making her way to the driver's seat, not giving Isaac a second glance.

"Oh dear, are you sure? Your hand-"

"Isn't hurting right now." There was no anger, no heat, no snap to Lia's voice as she interrupted her aunt, but there was a distinct firmness.

"Alright then, if you're certain. Thank you." Knowing well enough to leave it alone, Geneva merely smiled and began working her way into the passenger seat.

Isaac stepped up and opened the door for her, even offering one of his hands to help the old woman into the tall seat.  
"Oh! Thank you, young man. Such kind youth these days." Geneva mused, her cheeks rosy as she accepted his help and settled into the seat with a wide smile. Isaac simply nodded, his dark eyes filled with some quiet form of contemplation as he stepped away from the truck, crossing his muscular arms.

"Hey. Kid." Aelia glared at the man through her aunt's open door. Clearly he was just calling her that to piss her off. And it was working.  
"What?" She practically growled through clenched teeth, gripping the steering wheel tight in her good hand while sending him the most irritated and _unimpressed_ look she could at his childness. Ignoring the fact that she had shared such a trait not even a moment previous. That was a detail she pointedly overlooked.

Then, it was gone. The moment of annoyance and pointed picking had… _evaporated_. Leaving a startled Aelia in the wake of a suddenly confusing and volatile shift in the atmosphere- the very _presence_ around her.

Isaac gave her no time to regain her balance.

" _Be careful_." There was a dark urgency to his voice. An underlying plead that had Aelia's chest tightening, breath lost, and mouth opening to give _some_ reply that just refused to come to her. Several seconds ticked by, Lia struggling to regain a semblance of normality, and Isaac's eyes calmly _bearing_ into her. Geneva appeared not to notice as she dug around in her handbag, seeming oblivious to the tense atmosphere.

At last, under the weight of that intense, unrelenting gaze, Aelia found her feet again. Giving a cocky smirk at last, she shook her head at him.

"As if I'm anything but." There was a slight taunt to her words; prompting harsh steel to flash through Isaac's eyes, but he didn't get a chance to retaliate.

"Goodbye dear. Rest assured we'll be very careful. My niece is the best driver I know." Geneva gave him a kind, motherly smile before shutting her door.

Taking that as her cue to leave, Aelia started the truck up and pulled out of the Lennox's driveway. The darkness cloaked their sight from him; but Lia swore she could feel Isaac's burning gaze as she reversed out onto the road, and began driving her way back to her aunt's home in town.

Even as he watched them disappear completely from sight, Isaac clenched his fists tightly. _How ignorant_.

"Did you enjoy the evening, Lia?" Aunt Geneva smiled over at her charge, folding her hands politely in her lap and pointedly ignoring the rumpled state Aelia's clothes had taken.

"It was a'ight." The woman grunted, left hand smoothing over the surface of the wheel while her mangled right pushed against the stick shift almost aggressively in order to get it to move. Once in awhile, the damned thing would get stuck, and she would have to smack it to get it to stop that bullshit. She grimaced a bit each time.

It wasn't exactly painless to do.

"You seemed quite fond of that one young man. Isaac, was it?"

"You're hinting at something. I don't want to talk about it." Aelia tried to derail her aunt,

"I worry about you, you know. Almost thirty and not even a boyfriend… I just want to see you happy." Geneva urged softly, "Why not give it a chance? You never know."

"I don't need something like that." Lia's grey eyes shifted along the dark road, past where the headlights cut through the shadows, "It's a waste of time."

"No it isn't." The older woman insisted, "Love is one of the greatest things in this world. I can't recommend it enough. Your uncle and I-"

"Auntie please." Aelia's quiet voice was somber and pleading, "Look at me. I'm not _girlfriend_ material, let alone wife. Can you honestly see me cooking in the kitchen? Doing household chores? I'm too tall, too muscled, too headstrong, and…" she trailed off, but Geneva knew almost too well what her niece had almost, but hadn't, said.

Her hand. Two pairs of eyes briefly flitted to it.

"You know that's not true." Geneva's voice was soft and gentle, like a warm breeze, "Perhaps you're not what an 'ideal' woman is, but there are few that are. And every deserves happiness."

"I am happy." Aelia sighed, shifting gears again as they hit the highway. It wouldn't be long now until they were home and she could hide from her overly loving aunt.

"I don't think either of us really believe that." Geneva breathed, as though afraid to speak any louder. Lia winced, hearing the tightness in her voice, and hoped like hell the older woman wasn't about to cry.

"Aunt Geneva." Her low timber voice took on a more gentle tone, "Regardless as to my state of happiness, is this really the time for something like that?"

"Aelia…"

"We're in the middle of planning for Uncle's funeral. You need me right now." Lia urged her, glancing over for a moment before refocusing on the road ahead. Thankfully, the old woman's eyes were dry. Aelia didn't know what she would do if the waterworks started.

She wasn't an emotional person, and didn't even deal with her own emotions well.

"Then… then promise me something." Geneva demanded,  
"I don't do promises." Aelia grumbled, frowning, but knew it was pointless to deny her aunt further.

"Promise me you'll at least _try_ to find someone after this is over." Lia's lips pressed into a tight white line at that, " _Please_. I want to see you happy." that drew a defeated sigh from her.

"Alright, auntie. I'll try." It was the most she could promise, and it nearly hurt Aelia to do so. Promises were broken too often, she didn't want to add to the statistic.

"Thank you, Lia. That's all I can ask of you."

 **(AN: Pfff, I don't think Ironhide has ever been teased about his** ** _height_** **of all things, lol. Things are heating up a little bit between the two, but its definitely slow going! Also, plot. Plot, plot, plot. For those of you who have figured it out, Pierce My Silence, Hear Me, and Hot Iron, all take place within the same universe and thus share the same 'plot'.**

 **That briefcase Bobbi saved during that mission from PMS? Ya'll are gonna hear more about that in Hear Me and Hot Iron! So strap in folks, I gotta** ** _story_** **to tell ya! :D And I'm excited as all hell!**

 **Leave me a review, da? c:)**


	5. Simmering Temper, Gently Spoken

The funeral was small and easy to plan for. But that didn't make it any less painful to attend. Aunt Geneva sobbed through the entire service, tucked away into Aelia's chest. And the six foot tall woman could only hold her close, one hand on the space between her shoulder blades, pressing her into her gently. She kept her head down throughout the entire thing, staring into Geneva's hair blankly in order to hold it together.

Trying to accept the fact that her family had just gotten dramatically smaller and that the old woman she held between her arms was all she had left in the world. Her free hand, the mangled one, tightened into a pathetic mockery of a fist at the realization. And then there was the quiet, dangerous thought that hovered in the back of her mind like an unwanted, cheesy super-villain she wanted to pound into a pulp and yet couldn't.

Geneva wasn't exactly young; how long until Aelia was completely _alone_?

It was a thought she couldn't seem to shake, and it followed her well into the weeks that followed after. Aelia did her best to support her aunt, holding her when she cried, bringing her meals in bed, and even handling any callers that came by or harassed them over the phone. Although, Lia and Geneva's methods for dealing with such people varied widely. Whereas the older woman kept a gentle but firm tone and seemed to have nearly endless patience, Aelia was a bit more… volatile.

"No, I don't want to discuss my uncle's whatever it is that you're tryin' to sell!" The snarl was vicious and she sounded close to the point where she would bite off the salesman's head- it didn't help that he was also trying to push his way into their home, "Now scram before I manhandle your ass!"

"Please, miss, just a moment of your aunt's time-" He simpered,

"I said _fuck off_!" Grabbing him roughly by the front of his shirt, Aelia sent him flying down the sidewalk aggressively. He skidded and bounced down the pavement, unlike the last one, due to his tall, lean, beanstalk like form.

It was like skipping stones over the water of a river.

Satisfaction, dark and pleased, bubbled up like from a hot spring from deep in Aelia's chest. _Yes_. He deserved this. Her poor aunt didn't need any more of his bullshit; he clearly wasn't thinking of others- and that pissed her off more then anything else.

But he stopped before he could reach where she had been aiming. The satisfaction drained out of Lia like a hole in the side of a full milk jug; gushing. The salesman had slammed right into a pair of sturdy, firm legs- stopping his momentum like the Great Wall of China.

A sense of deja vu filtered over Aelia, but all she could do was scowl angrily as Isaac looked down at the man with an expression of knowing amusement paired with a smirk.

"You best be gettin' along now, little _piggy_." His soft growl had the man squealing, breaking from his shocked stupor, and fleeing down the street for his car, practically sobbing the whole way. Lia couldn't help the way her lips twisted into a sneer.

That had been _her_ salesman to torment, dammit. He took away her toy.

"You really do have a temper, don't you?" Isaac turned his amusement on the woman standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips and a scowl planted firmly on her face.

"I don't see how that's any of your business." Aelia rolled her eyes and moved her arms to cross in front of her chest, "What can I help you with?"

"We thought Mrs. Rex might like some company." A soft, hesitant, female voice flittered over to her and Lia hesitated, balance temporarily thrown off kilter. She hadn't seen Mrs. Lennox flit around the side of the large black truck sitting in her drive, nor her two children; one of which was perched on her hip and the other who was clutching her hand tightly.

It went against all of Aelia's training, and she angrily chastised herself mentally for once again letting her anger blind her to her surroundings. That could get her killed.

And then there was the guilt and slight shame that trickled in slightly afterwards like cold water. Had she scared the children? That wasn't something she _ever_ wanted to do.

Lia's eyes flicked to the baby- sleeping, she sighed in relief under her breath- and Cindy. Who stared at her with glittering, wide eyes and a beaming grin. Off balanced for the second time that day, the brunette whipped around and smacked the door back open, trying to ignore the strange feelings currently bubbling in her chest.

"C'mon in. She'll be happy for some company." Grunting, she left them to follow after her, bare feet padding quietly on the hardwood floors of her childhood home. Somewhere over Aelia's shoulder, the door shut firmly; and she could practically _feel_ Cindy's unbridled energy practically bursting at the seams with earnestness.

"Auntie, you have visitors!" Lia called softly,

"O-Oh? Just a moment dear!" she winced at her aunt's broken voice. At a loss as to what to do, Aelia moved into the kitchen to fix tea, wishing she could something more for her heartbroken family member.

Neither of them were exactly surprised by the visit; the Lennox's had kept in close contact with them since the dinner. Though usually it was just Will and Isaac with the very rare visit from Orion. This was the first time Sarah and the kids had come to visit. It was… a welcome change, Aelia decided. The young ones were precious, and she enjoyed being around such youth. The soft spot she had for children would probably never go away, and they would never get tiresome. There was just something so… innocent about them.

Besides, it wasn't like she was ever going to have any of her own; she may as well spoil other people's kids to the best of her ability.

When Lia reemerged from the kitchen- empty glasses tucked against her chest with her right arm, and her good, left hand gripping the tea- she stopped short. Geneva was laughing softly as she played with Annabelle, who was gurgling excitedly and flailing her arms with giggles as she sat on the old woman's lap.

Light that had been missing from her eyes since her husband's funeral glittered in her eyes like jewels, and her pale face was flushed with happiness. The only thing that stained the image was the bloodshot red that rimmed the edges of her eyes; foretelling of tears shed that Aelia had not known of. It made her uncomfortable and pained, knowing she wasn't enough to help ease Geneva's pain completely, and a part of her felt a tiny bit jealous of the baby for doing something Lia herself had been unable to.

Making her aunt laugh as though her loss had never happened.

"Tea?" Aelia set the glasses and pitcher down carefully, before beginning to pour for those that accepted. Which consisted of her aunt, Sarah, and Cindy. Isaac declined with a firm shake of his head. Once she had finished, Lia scooped the rest of the empty cups up, and the now half empty pitcher, and headed back into the kitchen to put them away, leaving the company to continue how it had before her arrival.

But, this time, footsteps quietly followed after her. Small and uncertain, Aelia could only guess it to be Cindy.

Chuckling to herself as she put her burden away, the tall woman addressed the kid,

"Can I help ya', small fry?" her words seemed to catch the blonde off guard.

"How did you hear me? I was being really quiet!" Cindy whined, coming over to stand by Lia's legs, pouting.

"Got good hearing." Aelia grunted as she started up the dishes, intending to make herself useful, "Now, what'cha need?"

"You're not going to send me back to my mom?"  
"Should I?" She raised an eyebrow as she gave the girl a sidelong glance,

"I'm not supposed to wander off…" Cindy admitted with a mumble, directing her gaze downward.

Lia snickered at that. The kid reminded her too much of herself when she was younger. Before her accident and the events that followed. Careless, free, trying to be good and listening to the parents while still exploring the world around her.

"Nah. S'fine. You're safe here." Aelia drawled, tossing her overshirt onto the back of a chair. Now clad in her black tank top and free of sleeves, she plunged her hands into the hot, steaming water. It burned at first, scalding painfully along her nerves, but Lia simply started on the first dish. Pain like this no longer bothered her as it once had.

Whether it was her pain tolerance increasing or her nerves dulling or dying, she didn't know. Nor did she care.

"You threw him like he was a piece of tissue paper." Cindy's glimmering, admiring stare was back, and boring into the side of her head like a set of heat seeking missiles,

"A snotty tissue paper." Aelia smirked down at the girl, and she giggled brightly in response, "Pull up a chair, spud. If we're gonna talk you might as well get comfy."

The gruff command had Cindy moving instantly to obey. Within moments a chair was dragged over beside her and she had clambered up into it, trying to contain her excited wiggles and general fidgeting, adding to Aelia's amusement.

It was like the kid was constantly hyped up on sugar and caffeine.

"It was so cool! How did you do that?" Cindy sat on her knees in the chair, bracing her hands against the counter so that she was propped up to see Aelia best,

"Lots of training and working out." Lia focused on the dish in front of her, carefully wiping away any grime on its surface with the rag soaked in hot sudsy filled water.

"Cool." The little girl breathed, "So you know, like, martial arts?"

"As a matter of fact I do. Been training in 'em since I could walk." Aelia nodded slowly, entertaining her newfound pal.

"What kinds?"

"Boxing, Tai Chi of the Chen style, Jujutsu, and Judo. I've only completed my training in one or two of those; mostly I just blend the styles. Take what best suits me from each one and use that to my advantage." Having finished washing the small amount of dirty dishes, Lia began rinsing them.

"That's so cool! You know _four_ different martial arts!" Cindy grinned widely, showing off a missing tooth, "So how come you didn't go Karate Kid on that guy?" she punched the air to punctuate her question.

"One, I don't know karate." Aelia gave the blonde an amused smile, "And for two, my fists are considered by law to be deadly weapons. Actually leaving a mark on him would get me in big trouble." she laughed, rough and low, "Not that I care in the slightest. But I would rather not accidentally kill anyone."  
"Oh. Okay. That makes sense." Cindy trailed off, seeming to think about it for a second, not even bothered by that last statement, "How come you got to learn martial arts? I've wanted to learn, but mom says it's too dangerous." a scowl came across her face as she said it; seeming to resent the decision.

"When I was young, I had a horrible time focusing, and an even worse temper then I do now." Aelia's lips twitched in amusement, enjoying this honest and open conversation- she had nothing to fear from the child, and could afford this small luxury, "My aunt and uncle hoped it would help; and they were right. Then, after my accident, it became physical therapy for my hand."

"That's _cool_."

"I suppose so." The brunette laughed at Cindy's enthusiasm, finding it infectious as she grabbed a towel and wiped her hands dry.

"I wish I could do that." the pre-teen sighed, slumping down in the chair, "Maybe then those kids wouldn't-" her mouth abruptly clamped shut. Apparently she had gotten too comfortable with the older woman and had let something slip she didn't want anyone to know; if the look on her face was anything to go by.

"Kids wouldn't what?" Aelia grunted, not about to let the subject drop, even as she began wiping down the first bowl in the drying rack. She had a feeling she already knew, but that didn't stop her stomach from knotting up in sympathy for the poor girl, nor the overprotective layer that was starting to crawl along her skin.

Cindy mumbled quietly under her breath and shuffled back in her seat, her eyes looking everywhere except at the giant of a woman eyeing her with a fierce frown.

"Well come on, sprout, let's hear it." Aelia put the bowl up and grabbed a plate, "What's the worse that's gonna happen, eh?"

"You get mad…?" The little girl trailed off, peaking up at the brunette through her bangs and eyelashes,

"I ain't gonna get mad at 'cha." Lia scoffed, "C'mon now. Thought ya' knew me better then that." she offered Cindy a sideways half grin that better resembled a smirk. It was the kind of look that she often gave right before she got herself into a heap of trouble and acted like a little shit. A look her aunt had long since learned to fear.

Cindy didn't know any better.

"The kids at school… they make fun of me. Pick on me." She pressed her lips together into a tight line,

"What fer?" Aelia moved onto the next bowl,

"Cause I'm adopted." Cindy mumbled, her eyes on the floor, as if it were the most shameful thing in the world, "They say mean things, like how my mom and dad didn't want me. A-And call me names like, 'dirty orphan'." her bottom lip trembled.

Lia froze, gripping the bowl so hard she was just shy of shattering it with pure strength alone. It was clear Cindy had been holding this in for quite awhile; and was now teetering on the edge of a meltdown. Aelia almost panicked- almost. Waterworks weren't something she was well versed with at all. Neither was emotion.

Hell, most of the time she couldn't deal with her _own_ emotions, let alone other people's.

"Hey. Lookit me, kiddo." Aelia took a forceful, deep breath to calm herself, set the bowl and rag aside, and knelt down so that she was eyelevel with the kid. Cindy hesitated a moment before looking up at her, tears glazing over her own eyes.

"Their jealous."  
"Jealous? Of what?" The girl let out a bitter laugh, her voice wavering all over the place, "The fact that my own parents didn' want me?" a half sob left her,

"Nah, listen." Aelia put a hand on Cindy's shoulder, "Their jealous 'cause their parents are _stuck_ wit' 'em. Ya' see? Your parents- they _chose_ you. They chose you 'cause they saw you and they _loved_ you. They know that if they were in yer shoes, and they were sittin' in the orphanage, their parents wouldn't chose 'em. They'd leave 'em there. You see?"

Cindy stared at her, wide eyed, as if contemplating her words while struggling not to cry.

"I know it's hard. Kids can be cruel. I've been there. Day in, day out, nothin' but mean words and nasty looks. But they dunno who we are, or what our story is, so they don't matter, you see?" Lia cleared her throat, "Now c'mon, 'nough of that. There's no need to cry."

Unfortunately, her last words worked in the opposite way she had hoped. With a pitiful sob, Cindy leaped forward and wrapped herself around the older woman, burying her face in Aelia's shoulder. The brunette rocked back on her heels, almost falling, before her training kicked in. In one smooth motion, she slid to her feet, and cradled the girl's small body to her.

Sobs wracked her form as she clung there like a panda, letting out a combination of pent up pain and relief.  
"There, there…" Mumbling awkwardly, Aelia patted Cindy's back. This was _not_ what she had had planned for today. She wasn't prepared for this in the slightest.

Still, she tried to roll with it and give comfort, even though she considered herself to be an emotionally stunted cactus. Rocking back and forth slowly, Aelia easily supported Cindy's weight- patting her back and offering her a safe haven to simply let it all go.

It was exactly what Cindy needed.

 **(AN: I updated Hear Me, so why not Hot Iron while I'm at it? :D**

 **Sometimes, kids need an adult friend. And sometimes, an adult needs a kid friend. And that's okay.**

 **Enjoy and leave me a review, da? c:)**


	6. Matters Of The Heart

Thankfully, it wasn't too awful long until Cindy released Aelia from her hold. Clearing her throat, the woman carefully put the small child down on her feet and patted her head lightly, like one would a dog.

The blonde didn't seem to notice, simply sniffling and rubbing at her red, bloodshot eyes. But she looked as though a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders. More at ease with everything around her; and Aelia found that gratifying. It was as if she'd filled the girl with new strength to face the world.

Something Lia wished she had had as a child.

Another cleared their throat from over by the doorway, making Aelia jump a solid foot in the air and gaining Cindy's attention. Jerking her head to the side, the tall woman scowled, bringing her face into a hard mask.

Isaac smirked, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, and Sarah stood with baby Annabelle on her hip, a soft smile adorning her face. They stood there a moment, simply staring at one another and processing their presence.

"Cindy dear, why don't you go ask Mrs. Rex to show you her garden? She was just telling us about how she planted some lovely tulips just yesterday." Sarah took the initiative, gently redirecting her daughter,

"Okay mama." The blonde smiled up at Aelia, "Bye." she trotted off, drained from her emotional experience and unable to express much at the moment. Lia knew the feeling well. There was only so much someone could go through, and it was even less, at times, for children.

"Do you need something?" Aelia snorted, turning away from them and going back to drying dishes once Cindy had disappeared through the door. She carefully wiped away the water, putting each piece away as she tried not to focus too hard on the two intruders in her kitchen. Annabelle, of course, was welcome.

"I hope she wasn't bothering you." Sarah offered softly,

"No." Lia grunted,

"Well, I'm glad she found a friend then." The tall blonde woman smiled, not put out in the slightest by the taller woman's brisk response and cold attitude. She had dealt with similar when she first met Isaac. Perhaps the two were cut from the same cloth.

"Your Aunt seemed happy today." Sarah drew closer, and Aelia could hear even the soft movement of her feet across the linoleum.

"Yeah, she was." The brunette mumbled, her hands coming to a stop on the last dish in her hands. She gripped the plate and the towel tightly for a moment.

For a second, Aelia wondered. Then she swallowed her pride.

"Mrs. Lennox?"

"Sarah, please."

"Sarah." Lia nodded slowly in agreement, and she heard Isaac barely contain a snorting snicker. She ignored him.

"Might I… could I ask a favor?" The older woman cleared her throat, putting away the last dish and hanging up her towel,

"Anything." Sarah gently urged,

"Could ya' start comin' over more? You and the kids? Or maybe I could drop Aunt Geneva off?" Aelia stopped, feeling her face flush- she wasn't used to asking favors, "It's a lot to ask, I know, but- I don't think she should be alone. She needs company and, well, I've got to get a job soon to help her out. The funeral was…" she shook her head,

"I'll start bringing the kids by more often." Sarah gently filled in, keeping Aelia from making a bigger- or so she believed- fool of herself.

"Thank you." The quiet murmur was overfilled with gratitude and relief,

"Of course. If I can help, I would like to." Smiling the blonde turned and began heading past Isaac, "Now, I'd like to see your Aunt's garden as well. She mentioned pink roses…" and she was gone.

Awkward, uncertain silence reigned for several moments.

Lia set to cleaning the counters dutifully, having nothing to say to Isaac and not feeling obligated to, either.

"You and your Aunt seem close." The man rumbled, grabbing the chair Cindy had been using and dragging it away from the counter. He spun it around and straddled it backwards, the back of the chair pressed against his chest. Isaac then folded his arms along its top, relaxing against it easily.

"She raised me, of course we're close." Aelia scoffed, putting the sponge she had been using away and beginning to whip down the counter with the towel, making sure it was dry,

"Hm. She looks happy to have you home, and you're settling in well." Isaac mused; seeming to try and make conversation.

"Astute observation." Sarcasm seemed to drip from the words, "Your point?"

"You don't have a home to go back to?"

"Why? Eager to see me off?" She narrowed her eyes at him from over her shoulder,

"No." Isaac snorted, shifting a bit under her gaze with a scowl, "Just curious. Stop lookin' at me like that." the bark had her rolling her eyes and going back to work,

"No. I have no where else to go, and no other family to care for. Happy?"

"Why should I be?"

"I answered your question."

"Ya' might've. But that's not the- I mean-" He let his head fall back with a groan, "Are you always this difficult?"

"Generally." She finished putting things away and turned to him, lifting herself up and settling on the counter as she did so.

Snorting and shaking his head, Isaac drew to his feet and pushed the chair backwards and into the table behind him, back with its brethren.

"You've got something to ask. Something specific." Aelia gave him a pointed look,

"Astute observation." Isaac matched her sarcasm, then shook his head, "What makes you say that?"

"Just spit it out." Lia rolled her eyes, "Or do you want to continue arguing like a child?"

"You're the one arguing like a child."

"You were the one joining in."

"I was humoring you."

"Still means you dropped to my level." Aelia smirked as Isaac opened his mouth, then closed it, teeth clicking together. His eyes narrowed and he glared at her for a moment.

"Fine." Grunting and rolling his eyes, Isaac huffed a sigh,

"Ah, so I win." She chuckled,

"I said nothing of the sort."

"You just did!"

"No. I consented to the fact that you are more of a child then I am." He smirked at her,

"Still means I won." she rolled her eyes,

"Well if you consider _that_ a win…"

"Enough, spit out your question." Aelia rolled her eyes with a scoff, waving her good hand. Abruptly, the atmosphere changed again. Just like last time. Isaac's very face seemed to change, his eyes hardening around the edges, his lips twisting downward, and his brow furrowing a bit. The very air seemed heavier, and for a moment, Aelia struggled to breathe. Isaac's eyes drew sharp and more intense, even his blind eye taking on an edge.

How he could do something like this was beyond her.

"Did your Uncle… leave you anything when he died?"

"Uncle Don's Will left everything to Aunt Geneva." Aelia spoke softly but sharply, drawing herself up from her spot atop the counter, taking great care not to knock her head on the cabinet above her. Her heart pounded a little harder in her chest.

What was this? Where did this come from? There seemed to be something otherworldly _intense_ about Isaac. Something almost _primal_. Like a general she had met once, who was used to giving orders and being in extreme situations. Who was used to giving orders.

It was almost intoxicating.

"Are you _certain_?" Isaac looked as though his hopes had been dashed, his expression faltering almost painfully before falling back under that hard mask- just a moment of weakness.

"Of course." Aelia frowned, "Why would I lie to you?"

"It's not that-" He groaned, grasping at the bridge of his nose with one hand and gently pinching there, "That's not what I meant." he grumbled, displeased.  
"Then what _did_ you mean?"

"I don't know!" Isaac snapped, turning away, "Look, if you find anything… strange, let me know, alright?"

"It would help if I knew what to look for." Aelia sneered, "You're not making any sense. Besides, why would I give you _anythin'_ my Uncle left for me?"

"I don't want you to give it to me." The man barked, "Just… _never mind_." he practically stormed from the room in a torrent of confusion, uncertainty, and frustration at himself, leaving Lia to look after him with a frown.

The man made little sense to her; Isaac was certainly an enigma.

Scowling further, Aelia turned and made her way out of the room and to her bedroom. She closed the door firmly behind her and began dressing in loose fitting clothes for her afternoon katra's. The uniform fit easily, and the routine she had devised for herself helped her to think as she moved through each of the steps.

Like a dance.

More and more questions were filling Aelia each time she came into contact with Isaac and the Lennox's. And not all good. The more she thought on it, the more she _wanted_ answers. The more it became vital that she got a hold of them. But how to get them? She couldn't just demand them, and as far as anyone knew, her Uncle had simply had a car accident of some kind. There wasn't anything exactly murderous or strange about his death.

Aelia wasn't ready to accuse someone of such a hefty thing as _murder_.

But still.

Why were Will and Sarah so ready to help them? Why had they shown up after Uncle Don's death? Why was Will so _guilty_ looking every time he looked at Aelia? What were they hiding? Why was Isaac so intrusive, asking about such things about her Uncle and what he had left her? Why were his eyes so intense? Why was his voice so-

What.

Aelia stopped mid katra, blinking in confusion at her reflection in the full length mirror across the room. Why had her thoughts taken such a turn? True there was something almost… _inhuman_ about Isaac but- no, no that was it.

Isaac didn't seem _normal_. That was all. That was _all_ that was. There was no need to think such a thing, or to think too _hard_ on it. No, better to leave that well alone.

Aelia's hands gripped tight into fists, her right hand locking painfully into place and the nails on her left digging into her palm. She was too _**broken**_ for anything like that. So why even _hope_?

Lia scoffed and turned from her reflection, refusing to look at herself again as she continued her katra- it was more important. Still, her more sane questions remained, and Aelia's lips pulled into a tight line as her brow furrowed.

She needed to get answers; there was something more going on. Something more about her Uncle's death, and the nature of the people currently surrounding herself and her aunt. She needed to get to the bottom of this before anything else happened to her family.

Her gut told her they were all in terrible danger. Something had killed her Uncle; something he had- she suspected, knowing him- died protecting.

If Aelia didn't figure it out, and _soon_ , something told her they would follow soon after.

She grimaced darkly. If the Lennox's or Isaac were hiding something-

 _Aelia would find out_.

Picking up a pair of nunchaku with her good hand, the brunette flew into a new set of katra, scowling angrily. The new question was, where to start? Where did she start looking for answers? Her lips pursed.

The solution came so abruptly she nearly thumped herself in the face with the end of her weapon. Aelia grinned as it dangled from her fingertips. Yes.

Her Uncle's study.

Aunt Geneva had had it shut and locked since her Uncle's death, but if he had left something behind for her, or at all, it would be in there. But how to get the key from her? Aelia certainly couldn't pick locks worth a damn, and she refused to kick in the door. If she asked, would Geneva give it to her? Could she really bring up more pain for her Aunt?

Lia stopped short, balancing on that answer as she set the nunchaku down.

She was playing a very dangerous game. If she wanted Geneva to heal, she would have to tread carefully. Aelia didn't even know where she kept the key, and would never even dream of stealing it from her in the first place- her honor refused it. So that left facing her about it directly. But she had to figure this out quickly; a sense of urgency tugged at her gut.

Ah, but she couldn't just _bring_ her Uncle up in conversation! It would just cause more pain for her aunt!

Groaning Aelia fell back onto her bed, scowling at the ceiling and never minding that she was messing up the clean, neatly made sheets.

 _Dammit all to hell!_

"What do I do, Uncle?" Aelia mumbled half heartedly at the ceiling with a little huff, before sitting up and setting to move through another set of katras- hoping to find mental peace.

It had never been farther away; and her question received no answer.

Just like always, Aelia was on her own- with no one to back her up or give her sound advice. But that was alright.

Aelia would find answers, and she would make sure they were safe.


	7. All I Have Left

They had settled into something of a routine. Aunt Geneva would spend most of her days in her garden, with at least three days of the week with Sarah and her children over to talk and play. Aelia spent her time scouting for a job and fretting over _how_ to ask her Aunt about Uncle Don's study. As important as it was, so was her Aunt's mental state; and Geneva was just barely beginning to heal.

Aelia was impulsive, yes, but nothing was more important to her then her last living relative. She would die before she willingly hurt her Aunt; the woman who had raised her and been there for her through thick and thin.

Fortunately, she didn't have to think about it for the moment.

Groaning under her breath, Lia slipped into the rickety pickup her aunt was so fond of, and backed out of the driveway carefully. The whole way, Aunt Geneva waved to her with baby Annabelle on her hip, and Cindy excitedly jumping up and down at her side. Mrs. Lennox, and Ian, she knew, would be inside.

The man had become something of a permanent fixture in their lives. She shook the thought of him off- he tended to stick to her brain like a bad cough.

Offering a half grin, Aelia snorted under her breath at the scene, before heading off down the road. The pickup rattled softly around her, offering a calm atmosphere to her frayed nerves. One of her jobs had called her back. They were interested in interviewing her to see if she qualified for what they needed.

Needless to say, Aelia was more then a little frazzled. It had been a very long time since she had been interviewed for anything. Her good hand tightened on the steering wheel a bit, pulling a soft creak from the already strained material.

It would also be the longest she had been away from Aunt Geneva since Uncle Don's funeral. The thought had her teeth clenching and her crippled hand slamming against the gear stick to force it into a different position. Her feet expertly smacking down the correct pedals to get the old rust bucket to do what she wanted.

No matter, it would be alright, right? Aunt Geneva had Mrs. Lennox and her children to be with her until Lia could get back. Surely they could handle being alone for a few hours, right? She sucked in a low breath and let it out slowly, rolling her broad shoulders and causing them to pop loudly.

Yeah. It would be just fine.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Aelia had been wrong. She stared in absolute horror at the front door of her Aunt's home.

So. Fucking. _Wrong_.

Her breath caught painfully in her chest and she struggled not to scream in rage. This shouldn't have happened. Why. Why? _Why?_ _ **Why?!**_

Snarling viciously in a fit of rage, Aelia dove forward, kicking open what was _left_ of the shattered door and charging inside. It looked as though someone had taken a damn _jackhammer_ to it. There was little left intact.

Swearing under her breath, Lia looked around, continuing to take in the destruction. It extended into the house, as if a warpath had been carved straight through everything. As if the very god of ruin had stepped through her home.

Hands clenching painfully at her sides, nails digging into her palms, Aelia swore silently that if anyone was left- _they would pay_.

"Aunt Geneva! Aunt Geneva, are you here?!" Bellowing out, hoping against hope for a reply, she began shoving her way through the house. The entire place was trashed. As if someone had hurriedly been looking for something. Silverware, broken dishes, plant vases… everything that had been in a drawer or on a surface had been knocked to the floor, creating a mess that crunched and clanked under Aelia's thick, knee high black boots. Doors were broken left and right, as if the intruder hadn't been bothered to even try to use the doorknobs.

The couch had even been ripped open, as if by claws- stuffing laying everywhere in mounds.

Her chest heaved with panic as she received no reply. Either Aunt Geneva wasn't home- Aelia hoped that was the case- or she was somewhere, possibly injured or worse. She tried not to think too hard on it. This wasn't the time to panic.

Licking her chapped and cracked lips, Lia forced a deep breath, before making a search of the quiet, dead house. It was surprising the cops weren't here yet- but from what she could make of the damage, it had finished just moments before she had arrived.

Reaching out with her good hand, Aelia touched deep gouges marring the edge of the doorframe into her Aunt's room.

Either the intruder had a unique weapon on him; or he had an animal with him.

Grimacing, Aelia pushed her way into her Aunt's room, cautious and afraid of what she might find. Softly, she called out to her again, but like before, she received no reply. Fearful for the old woman's life, the tall woman shouldered her way around the crushed, laid over wardrobe and made her way farther into the room.

The bed was torn to pieces, ripped open, its insides spilling out, the mirror was shattered to pieces all over the floor, and everything that had been in her Aunt's drawers- wardrobe, vanity, _all_ of them- was all over the floor.

There was no direct sign of Geneva, however. But there was something that made Aelia's breath catch painfully in her lungs, as though she had been socked full force with a iron clad fist. Her mouth shuddered as she choked on a desperate call for the woman that filled the role of _mother_ for her.

Blood. Smeared in the shape of a hand being dragged downwards. _Geneva's handprint_. Aelia shook violently and tore herself from her aunt's room. She shoved past the broken wardrobe again, ignoring the blinding pain as she slammed her shoulder against its edge. It didn't matter.

 _None of it mattered_.

Teeth clenched, Aelia tore through the rest of the house, now screaming for her aunt. But there was no reply. At last, she stood inside the last room, her Uncle Don's study, heaving for breath and feeling unhinged. Her jaw clenched painfully, the muscle there ticking, and tears pricked at the backs of her eyes without falling.

For a moment, she wondered hazardly if she had jumped the gun. Maybe Geneva just wasn't home at the moment. Maybe this was all a mistake. Yes, that was it. A burglar had broken in while they were gone- the bloody hand? Obviously he had cut himself on the mirror when he shattered it and had wiped it on the wall somehow by accident. And he… just so happened to have the same sized hand as her aunt.

Hell, maybe it was a 'she' burglar! That would explain it all, right? _Right_.

Taking deep breathes to further calm herself, Aelia loosened her hands and unclenched her jaw. She would just call Geneva. Yeah, there was no need to freak out over nothing.

Slipping her flip phone from her pocket, Lia snapped it open and hit the call button for her aunt. Pressing it to her ear tightly out of nerves, the brunette waited with less then saint like patience. Her mangled hand awkwardly pushed her frayed hair out of her eyes. It had come loose in her panicked movements, and now she could see the gray that was starting to stain it.

With events like this, it didn't surprise her. Aelia grimaced; just another piece of proof to her aging. Further proving that she wasn't a spring chick anymore- and neither was her motherly aunt for that matter.

Aelia was honestly surprised her black hair hadn't gone completely gray. One would think that it would be, after all the stress she had endured- it felt like she had aged a good couple hundred years. Her body felt achy and old at the very thought.

The phone against her ear clicked, ripping Aelia back to the present. Back to the panic and terror. It only got worse. Whatever answered the phone- it wasn't her aunt. Heavy, metallic tinged, male breathing filled the phone.

She couldn't breathe. Couldn't move- _this couldn't be happening_. Not to them. Hadn't losing her uncle been enough?! Anger unlike any other filled her.

"Who is this?" Snarling, Aelia nearly resembled a beast with the way she hunched over against the phone, as though trying to tear apart whoever was on the other side of the phone. A soft, dark chuckle resounded out of the speaker, making her grind her teeth.

"Where's Geneva?" Tightening her hand on her phone, Lia growled through her clenched jaw, "If you've laid one hand on her, I swear to whatever you believe in-!"

"Your ' _aunt_ '-" The voice softly interrupted, speaking the word with disgust, "is online and intact." while it was low and velvety, the amount of power and danger in his tone was enough to have Aelia hackling up defensively.

She considered the speaker's strange words for a moment, taking in what he was saying.

"Is she hurt?" The soft, measured words took all of Aelia's restraint. Impulsive as she was, all she wanted to do was scream into the phone until she got the answers she so desperately wanted. But she couldn't risk this- not her aunt. Geneva was all she had left, and Aelia would be damned if she let her slip away.

"That depends on you." The voice seemed to titter in amusement, making her snap her jaws together tightly in anger to avoid snarling again,

"Listen very, very closely, _human._ " There was that disgust again. Despite that, Aelia closed her eyes, focusing everything she had on that voice. On anything going on in the background. It was imperative. Maybe she could hear her aunt- to know she was okay. Or something that would tell her where they were.

Then she could launch a rescue mission.

But there was nothing but the voice. _His_ voice. It sent cold chills racing down Aelia's spine. She had never been afraid before. Not like this. It was a helpless, terrifying feeling. As though there was nothing she could do, and everything had been ripped from her grasp violently.

"You will find what you're Uncle was hiding. What he left for you. The _modium_. You will bring it to the Lakeside Scrapyard. You will come _alone_."

"And if I don't?" Lia could guess, but she couldn't help the slight challenge in her voice, the _daring_ there.

"If you don't bring me what I want… you and your aunt die. If you bring anyone with you… you and your aunt… will _die_." The speaker sighed, almost as though he were bored and tired of speaking with her,

"I would so hate to have to kill her. She seems nice." there was mocking there now. He was _mocking_ her.

"Listen you _sonova-_ "

"You have three hours. Make the most of them." The voice hissed, cutting her off abruptly, and then there was the dial tone resounding in her ear painfully.

Choking out a scream of rage, Aelia threw the phone from the side of her face. It slammed into the wall and broke into a dozen pieces, clattering the ground almost silently as static filled her ears.

 _God_ _ **dammit**_! What had her uncle even been into before he died?! Is this what got him killed?

Grabbing a fistfull of her hair with her good hand, Aelia resisted the urge to start ripping clumps out. Okay, okay, calm. She needed to be calm and rational.

The two things, Lia thought in amusement, she was decidedly _not_. Despite this, she took a deep breath. She needed to be strong and reliable for her aunt. Her life depended on it.

Aelia didn't know what the hell a 'modium' was. But apparently it was important to whoever she was speaking to, and it had belonged to her Uncle. Or rather, he had tried to _hide it_ from them. The question was, where would he hide it?

Almost mindlessly, Aelia knelt and began sifting through the garbage on the ground. Where? The question echoed in her head questioningly as she ruffled through stuff the kidnappers had already searched through. Despite knowing it wasn't there, it helped- comforted her- to be in motion while she thought.

It was as though she were actually _able_ to do something to help her aunt immediately, while trying to come up with a way to _actually_ help.

There was very little they hadn't already ransacked. Her uncle's safe in the wall had been torn open, and they had already found the hidden hatch under his desk. What else could there possibly be?

Lia struggled to remember her uncle; to remember where he liked to keep important things.

Groaning in frustration, she shoved herself to her feet and crossed her arms tightly, marching over to the window. Her reflection in the clean class scowled back at her, it's eyes just as tired looking as her's felt. She was a mess and a half.

Sighing under her breath and trembling, Aelia wondered if she was going to lose her aunt- and her life- as well. There was nothing she could do- she didn't even know _what_ she was looking for. For all she knew it was a piece of paper somewhere with specific information on it! It made her want to tear her hair out in frustration all over again.

This was clearly getting her nowhere.

Running a hand over her face and tugging at the skin as she went, Aelia looked past her reflection in exhaustion, her eyes falling across the backyard.

And then she froze, wide eyes hovering at the spot at the base of the mighty pecan tree. The only tree in their backyard.

 _The tree her aunt and uncle had buried their wills in a safe underneath_.

 **(AN: Things went from a mild 2 or so to 100 real fuckin' quick. c:  
I have 4 more chapters already finished just sitting in my folder for this- haa.)**


	8. Family Secrets

It hadn't taken Aelia long to locate her Uncle Don's shovel. From there, she shoved it deep into the earth below her, stomping on it with a firm boot- and began digging up the spot under the pecan tree. It began to rain as she heaved shovelful after shovelful of dirt out of the way, a growing pile expanding near her thick boots.

Aelia ignored the pounding ice cold water that tried to blind her and pushed her around. Her stocky frame stood up well to the abuse, and she continued digging deeper into the earth.

Aunt Geneva's _life_ depended on it.

She nearly laughed in relief when her shovel struck metal.

Tossing the shovel aside and dropped to her knees, Aelia began shoving what was left of the now wet dirt off of the safe, ignoring the agony in her right hand. Not only was arthritis deciding to act up, but the physical labor was causing immense pain.

Lia just wasn't meant for this sort of thing anymore- her body just couldn't handle it. Or rather, her crippled arm, which threatened to cripple the _rest_ of her.

Despite it, however, she grabbed both sides of the safe and pulled it from the once dirt, now mud. The dark brown prison squelched angrily at losing its treasure, and put up quite a fight; but it was no match for Aelia's desperation.

Panting heavily from the physical exertion, the brunette shook her wet hair out of her eyes, and dragged the heavy, rather large safe into the house- and away from prying eyes. The trail of scraping mud that oozed out over her aunt's previously spotless floor made her chest twinge; but Aelia reassured herself she could clean it up for Geneva later. Right now, this was far more important then a little mud in the house.

Crouching down, she moved her good hand over the combination lock, and began fiddling with it hurriedly. There was a series of numbers her Uncle would always use when locking something. Five- zero- five- zero, or some version of that. He used to say it was because it represented how he liked life.

Half and half.

Shaking those thoughts off, Aelia growled as she shoved the safe completely open- it had unlocked easily enough- and began rifling through its contents. There was aunt Geneva's will, which she refused to look at, as there was no way in hell she was going to let that become relevant to use for many years to come; then there was her uncle's will. A quick scan revealed nothing out of the ordinary. Really, it was stuff she already knew.

At first, Aelia lost hope, the wind going out of her sails like water rushing out of a stabbed water balloon. But, the container was not yet empty.

Wrapped in brown paper with a folded note taped to it, the strange package sitting on the very bottom stared at her almost accusingly; as if knowledgeable to her plight and wanting to drag out her suffering for as long as possible.

Fueled by rage and desperation, hands shaking, Aelia fought for a moment to get the letter open. She sent the package clattering to the floor, but paid it no mind for a brief moment. It didn't sound broken, and it wasn't going anywhere- it could afford to wait a few seconds. The paper could have more important information.

Like if the package was going to explode, or if it was even what she was looking for.

Using her pinkie nail on her left hand, Aelia cut open the tape holding the letter together. It had torn off from the package when she pulled- so it was a simple matter of getting to its meaty insides. Her hands shook as her Uncle Don's elegant handwriting greeted her from the white front page.

How long had this sat here? How long had he been involved in this? She wanted to scream at the universe. Her uncle's secret had not only gotten _him_ killed, but now threatened the lives of the one's closest to him. Just how important was this dumb _modium_? God, even the name was **stupid** as hell!

'To whomever this letter concerns,

They know. I don't know how, but they do. Somehow, they've caught wind of what we've been trying to do. They know where we're moving the modium. A powerful artifact they will stop at nothing to possess. I cannot voice my fears to my superiors, they would not believe me, and I fear _they_ would catch on, and simply alter their plans.

I cannot risk the modium falling into the wrong hands. To do so would be disastrous. It is too important. I must see the bigger picture; it is more important then any one, or handful, of lives. So I shall hide it here, alongside my will, in secret. And I will walk to my death with those who have promised to escort the modium and myself to safety.

It saddens me, to know that we will never reach our destination, that these men's promise will never be fulfilled. But, at least, the modium will be safe.

Know that if you take this artifact, you will become its new protector. You will not be able to leave it alone; and you _cannot_ let it fall into the hands of evil.

Forgive me, I curse the day I ever laid eyes on that twisted object. I only hope _some_ good can come of it. Whoever you are, whatever you are-

Good luck,

Don T. Rex, N.E.S.T Operator'

A numbness settled over Aelia like a fog, and her jaw clenched tight. Too overwhelmed to think on the letter too much, she folded it up carefully and tucked it into the breast pocket of her long sleeved overshirt. At the very least, she had found what she was looking for.

Scooping up the package, she shoved it into her pants pocket, rolled to her feet, and ran out of the ruined house. Right now, nothing mattered except the fact that Aunt Geneva needed her. She was in danger, and it was necessary that she get there in time. She had a time limit- and everything else be damned in the wake of her emergency.

The rain pelted her even harder then before as Aelia burst through the shattered front door. But she needn't worry about it for long. In the next moment, she had thrown herself into the front seat of the pickup she had tossed herself out of not minutes before, and roughly threw it into reverse. Part of her was thankful she hadn't shut the engine off before she had run inside to check on her aunt.

Another part didn't give any shits at the moment.

Lia ripped the steering wheel to the side, forcing the truck to turn backwards and straighten out along the road, before slamming her right, mangled hand into the shifter and changing to drive. Luckily, the roads out were empty. She didn't honestly think she would be able to stop for anyone at this moment. Aelia was selfish, and if the situation called for it and couldn't be avoided without stopping and wasting precious time- she would probably run over someone in her haste to save her aunt.

Tunnel vision had completely taken over her senses.

Sadly, the road wasn't empty for long.

In the rearview mirror, even through the darkness and the pounding rain, Aelia could make out Isaac's truck, Orion's semi, and several other vehicles she didn't recognize. They sped towards her and the house damn near recklessly in the falling water.

Aunt Geneva's captor's words echoed ominously in Aelia's mind like a tolling bell.

' _If_ _you bring anyone with you… you and your aunt… will_ _ **die**_ _.'_

Something told Lia that included being tailed. So, as much as she disliked the thought- she grimaced- she was going to have to flee from her aunt's friends. And- though she admitted this only hesitantly to herself- the people she was starting to feel close to. Her hands tightened on the steering wheel and the shifter.

Aelia prayed they would forgive her for this. She couldn't risk her aunt's life.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, the mountain of a woman slammed her booted foot against the gas pedal, and urged her steel stallion to go a little faster. The old pickup sputtered out a protest, before catching up with itself and managing to obey her silent commands. It jolted around her threatening, as though about to fall apart, but Aelia knew it would hold together. It had for a good ten years, it would for a few more.

And if it did fall apart?

Well, she would just have to hotwire another car and keep going, now wouldn't she? Lia snorted. She never thought she would use her mechanical know-how to resort to petty _thieving_. But it would be alright.

She would pay whomever she robbed back in full, just as soon as she saved her aunt. In this instance, Aelia truly felt as though the ends justified the means.

However, even as she sped away, Isaac broke away from the group, who were parking in front of her aunt's home- and began chasing her down.

"No, no, c'mon big guy." Lia mumbled to herself, gently coaxing more speed out of the poor truck, "Just let me go. Please." her silent plea went unanswered.

As though fueled by Aelia's soft words, Isaac sped up. She fancied she could almost make him out in the front driver's seat, despite the rain and the darkness- and the tinting of his windshield. He was something else, wasn't he? Not for the first time, Lia wondered what made the man tick.

It was simultaneously admirable and irritating.

Why did it hurt so much to do this to him? Leave him without an explanation, run from him, and lead him in a dangerous and desperate chase through the rain. It shouldn't. It shouldn't nearly kill Aelia to spin the truck around a sharp turn and hope that he gave up. The thought of him giving up shouldn't _hurt_.

When had he gotten close? She had been careful to throw him out at arm's length at every turn.

Maybe it had been when she had joked with him about his height- or when he had sat in her kitchen and talked with her. Or all the times he tried to hold conversations with her, even while Aelia had attempted to scare him off with her short, cold replies and intimidating stares.

He had been tenacious, despite her every resisting step.

Lia shook the thoughts away. It was _stupid_. She was imagining things, clearly he was just making sure she was safe for the Lennox's to be around. It shouldn't hurt. It _didn't_ hurt. It didn't matter. Only Geneva mattered- especially right now.

This wasn't the time to think about this; it was absolutely horrible timing.

With that in mind, she hardened her heart, steeled her mind, and forced the pickup to speed up just a bit more, ignoring the whining of the engine and the straining of the parts as the vehicle whipped around another corner, tearing down an alleyway. Behind her, Isaac followed her movements, step by step.

She seethed.

That shouldn't be _possible_. It was like he _was_ the truck! It was retarded- _no one_ could react that fast. Shit like that, that happened in the movies? That was impossible. It was inhuman- _superhuman_. She grimaced.

If she wanted to get away from him, she was going to do her best, and not hold back.

Even if that meant possibly accidentally injuring him.

Ignoring the warning signs of beginning hydroplaning across the surface of the road, Aelia shifted gears again and shrieked around yet another corner. She needed to take advantage of the poor visibility. Good driver or no, he was human like her- and that meant that he could see just about as much as her. It was silly to believe otherwise.

She had to lose him in the mess of the storm.

Aelia growled, eyeing him in the rearview mirror again; he had gained on her and was now almost touching his front bumper to her back one. Luckily, he hadn't nudged up against her. Lia supposed, for fear of sending her crashing into something or spinning out of control. Death by car crash was all too real at this moment.

She still refused to slow down.

The sound of Isaac's truck switching to a higher gear could be heard even over the roar of the rain and wind. The rumble from his vehicle distinctly getting louder and revving up. Aelia gripped the wheel and shifter so tight the knuckles of her left hand went white and began to ache, while her already painful right hand erupting in punishing agony she felt she deserved, and locked into place, refusing to remove from the knobbed stick.

Sneering out at the partially hidden road in front of her vehicle, Aelia tried to ignore Isaac's truck pulling up alongside her, breaking an unimportant amount of laws she didn't care to count or think about at the present moment.

She ignored him as Isaac look away from the road, through their two windows and the rain between- and tried to make eye contact.

She ignored the confused, concerned, _hurt_ expression she could see out of the corner of her eye. Aelia couldn't afford to let up- not even for a moment.

Not if Geneva was going to survive.

So Aelia did something stupid.

 **(AN: These chapters have been sitting in my folder for months. So I'ma just let 'em air out. Their kinda like Fanfiction currency, and its burning a hole in my pocket.**

 **Seriously though.** _ **Months**_ **. Makes you wonder what else is sitting in my folder, just waiting, hm? But if I post that then I'm under obligations to finish them and I'm not ready for that marriage level of** **commitment** **just yet.)**


	9. Something Stupid

Growling under her breath at the damn _persistence_ Isaac was showing- Aelia _firmly_ ignored the part of her that was delighted at his show of concern and determination- the brunette shifted gears abruptly and slammed on her breaks.

The pickup _shrieked_ in protest, the gears grinding at the abrupt change. Aelia ignored it all, even the slight sliding back and forth due to the sudden stop. The risk of spinning out of control passed quickly, leaving her stopped suddenly in the middle of the road with a quietly idling engine that now whined more then before. Something had been damaged, but there was little time to be concerned about it for now.

Isaac zipped ahead a few yards, before suddenly slamming on his own breaks; he seemed to use the water to his advantage, and easily spun around. They sat there, engines rumbling near silently, facing each other perfectly. They were only a few yards away from one another, and Aelia found she could easily make out Isaac in the front seat, gripping his own steering wheel and seeming to glare her down, the tinted window and falling rain doing little to hide his damn near glowing blue eyes and intimidating expression that never affected her.

It was as if he were snarling, ' _Don't do something stupid.'_ hell, she could hear his voice in her head _saying_ it.

Lia let out a low, slow breath and loosened her grip on everything. You moved faster when you weren't tensed. She found she could respond better relaxed anyway. It was better like this- even if it did take a hell of a lot of willpower to pull off.

They sat there for several moments, with Isaac's eyes not leaving her's for even a moment. As if he were trying to stare her down, to make her back off and give in to him. Everything was screaming at her to do so, and yet, at the same time, howling at her to _save_ Geneva, even if that meant saying _no_.

It was painful, and Aelia was so wrapped up in it she almost jumped out of her skin when her phone started ringing from her pocket. Without looking away from Isaac, she slipped the flip phone out and snapped it open, pressing answer before pushing it to her ear with no small amount of difficulty- as she was using her right hand. She didn't know who it was, but if it was the kidnapper- she didn't want to think about it.

"What are you _doing_?" The low, familiar _growl_ of a voice had Lia's breath hitching in her throat; _how had he gotten her number?_

Hell, how was he calling her?!

Aelia clenched her jaw tight for a moment, staring at Isaac intently, as though to figure him out by burning her way to him via laser eye vision. She forced a smirk,

"Going for a drive."

"This isn't a fucking joke!" the snarl was halfway angered and halfway panicked. Lia could see his mouth moving; the logical part of her chimed in, informing her that he must have called from a headset. Not everyone was archaic and used a flip phone like she did.

A lump formed in her throat, and Lia swallowed around it thickly.

"I know it's not." Aelia murmured, "What part of this is even remotely funny?"

"Then come back with me. We'll figure this out." Isaac's timbre turned soft and comforting, his very expression gentling around the edges,

"I can't."

"You can't? What do you-"

Aelia didn't give him a chance to finish his question, instead snapping her phone closed, tossing it over beside the modium, and grabbing the steering wheel and shifter. She threw the car into gear, ripped the wheel to the side, and zipped around his truck wildly. It would take him more time to turn around, and it would give her a head start.

But she needn't have worried.

Isaac didn't pursue her this time.

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He cursed under his breath aggressively in a language foreign to this planet, and yanked on the steering wheel hard. Pain from the rough movement shot through his real body, but he ignored it. It was grounding, reassuring. It was the only thing currently keeping him focused, from transforming and using his large size to grab and hold the fleeing pickup.

Aelia wouldn't be able to be away then.

"Ironhide. Let her go." The soft order that buzzed in his ear had Hide going still, his holoform's hands gripping his steering wheel so tight the knuckles had faded to white. His jaw clenched and released repeatedly as he worked his options over in his head. Every second, Lia got further away. His spark ached painfully.

"Trust me old friend. I'll have Blades follow from a distance, in the air. The situation is much more dire then anyone could have predicted." Gentle words soothed the burn of his spark, but did little to stop the itch for action under his skin.

The thought of the helicopter, Blades, made him snort a little. He was a coward. Something Ironhide found disapproving.

Still, he would obey his Prime. He had yet to lead Hide wrong, and he trusted him with his life. But the question buzzed in his head. Did he trust his lead with _Aelia's_ life? He licked his holoform's dry lips nervously, spark chamber constricting in his chest in its own way of protest.

"Heading back, Optimus." Ironhide rumbled in defeat at last.

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Aelia stared out of the windshield of the silent pickup truck. Out at the dark, intimidating junkyard. It was located on the outskirts of town, and had taken her a bit to get to, but she still had an hour before she had to hand the modium over for her aunt's life. The thought alone made her want to crush someone's skull in. Her hands slowly clenched and unclenched as she thought the situation over. Looking around the cab as she wondered about _how_ this had happened. How things had escalated.

Her eyes swept over to the package, which still lay innocently beside her phone. The letter in her breast pocket seemed to burn through her shirt and against her skin.

Why did it seem like she was having to chose between her aunt and uncle? Between what she had, and what she had lost. Between the life of the living, and the respect of the dead.

Her uncle had _died_ protecting this, and claimed it was worth both his and his co-workers lives. And yet… if she _didn't_ hand this over, to whom she believed to be who he had died keeping it from…

How could Aelia make that call?

Fingers trembling, she picked up the package, feeling numb. This was the last thing from her uncle. He had given his life for this. Surely it was something amazing? It must be something dangerous as well, if he was so desperate to keep it out of his enemy's grasp.

Lia fought with the package for a moment, holding it in her left hand, and struggling to peel it open with her right, mangled one. The edge of the brown paper kept slipping free from her thumb and the side of her pointer finger.

Growling under her breath after the failed tenth attempt, Aelia gave up with her hand, grabbed with her teeth, and yanked the entire paper wrapping off with her mouth. She spat it to the side roughly, licking her lips to bring moisture back to them, and regarded the newly revealed object with no small amount of curiosity.

At first, Lia was speechless, breathless even.

She felt awed and underwhelmed all at once. It was beautiful, about the size of her palm and glowing a soft blue, white lettering in a language she couldn't understand stringing along the surface of the inside. It's shape roughly like that of a 3D honeycomb. But while it looked pretty, there was nothing remarkably dangerous or powerful about it. The most she, personally, would use it for would be a unique and gorgeous night light.

It was disappointing, really, at least to her. Still.

Uncle Don had died for this deadly night light, and someone had kidnapped Aunt Geneva over it. Clearly, it was worth something, or dangerous in some way she couldn't yet see. Maybe it was some kind of key? Aelia squinted at it and turned it over in her lap slowly, as though hoping to pull it's secrets out by silent intimidation.

No dice, unfortunately.

Slumping down in the front seat, Lia sighed and shuddered. Now she got to make her choice. Try and protect this thing, or hand it over and save her only remaining family.

Trembling painfully, she ran her fingers lightly over the surface of the modium. It's smooth, oddly ice cold form offered no comfort to her. It's sharp angles threatening to cut into flesh. It almost seemed to breathe under her touch, as though it were alive.

Preposterous, Aelia snorted in dull amusement to herself.

Mindlessly tracing along the modium, she silently glared into it's aqua depths.

'Please, tell me what to do. Uncle…' Feeling desperation and a soul crushing weight falling over her shoulders, Aelia pressed her to fingertips into it with slight harshness, just under one of the lines of flowing, constantly sifting text.

Sharp agony flared up underneath her touch, as though she had been electrocuted, but Lia couldn't get her hand free. It was as if her fingers had been magnetized to the surface, and no matter how loudly she yelled in pain and yanked at her hand; it wouldn't come free.

The agony left her hand, and instead slammed into her head full force. A migraine unlike any she had ever experienced gripped her tight, closing off her throat from the screams she had been emitting. Lia choked on air.

White hot agony tore through her fragile gray matter, threatening to end her. She struggled against it, desperate for it to just _end_.

It was so much worse then almost anything else she had gone through. Only her arm from the explosion seemed to come close to this pain. A gurgle was the only noise Aelia managed to make against the torment.

And then it shifted. The agony left and turned to a buzzing, tingling sensation. Words she didn't understand flew through her head alongside images too fast for her to grasp. Briefly Lia wondered if she had seen a giant robot- and then she was forcefully overtaken again.

What looked like math- definitely not her forte- rapidly pounded behind her clenched eyes. Formulas, terms, numbers and even letters, none of which she had ever seen before, passed by in rapid sequence.

It was as though information was being downloaded into her.

At last, it left her, leaving Aelia gasping wetly, the taste of blood filling her mouth. Her entire body shuddered from the abuse, slumped and gripping the modium tightly. It twinkled up at her innocently, even as her tired and strained eyes darted around at everything. Confusion and terror and _rage_ ran ramped through her, and if she didn't need it to possibly save the life of the woman she owed _everything_ to, she would have thrown it out her window angrily.

And possibly have run it over.

What had _happened_?

Lia shuddered, finding herself without an answer. Whatever it was, she wasn't keen on it happening again. That felt like it had tried to kill her, and if the blood running down from her mouth and off her chin was any indicator…

Hurriedly, she grabbed the brown paper it had initially been wrapped in, and shoddy his it away again within its folds. Almost instantly, Aelia was hit with a powerful pang of longing, as though it almost physically hurt her to be away from it in any way, shape or form.

Ignoring it, coughing up more flecks of her liquid life, Aelia shoved it away into her pocket. Her chest ached painfully, and it felt as though she had been shot in her torso.

Clearly there was more to this then could be seen on the surface. And if this was the kind of damage it could cause by _accident_ without intent, what could it manage with someone who knew how to use it and had the _want_ to hurt?

Aelia grimaced, catching on to what Uncle Don had been trying to do.

No, there was no way she could hand it over in good conscious now that she knew what she did. Reaching up with the sleeve of her overshirt, Lia absent mindedly scrubbed at the wet blood still there, as well as catching it when she coughed roughly. Pain radiated through her body like a wildfire, only her training and mental discipline kept it in line and from blinding her to anything else, or forcing her to double over.

She needed a doctor. But that could wait until after Geneva was safe. Lia chuckled darkly under her breath between wet coughs. She had never been a pawn before, and she wasn't about to start now. Who said she had to choose?

Aelia wasn't losing anything. Not this time.

Smirking, a feeling of determined dedication rising in her chest, she began to put together a plan. Either she was gonna lose it all-

Or she was gonna walk away victorious.

Lia had always been a bit of an impulsive gambler.

 **(AN: :D Oh boi. Here we go. Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE writing Lia's character?**  
 **Also, people were confused as to why Aelia is even remotely attached to Isaac, since she's '** **aggressive** **', so lemme clear some stuff up if that's confused you too.**

 **1\. Aelia is** ** _not_** **the edgelord she thinks she is. She is an awkward badass with too many problems, yes, but she's also a sad sushi roll. You can be both.**

 **2\. Her aggressiveness is how she bonds. Aelia feels comfortable and satisfied when she can sass someone who can take it- Geneva can't and becomes very sad, so Isaac fits that need perfectly.**

 **3\. Bonding has happened, as can be seen in Chapter 6, and the fact that I mentioned their routine- Isaac has visited quite often with the kids. c:**

 **4\. Isaac reminds Aelia of herself. The two are cut from the same cloth. When that happens, generally you either DESPISE the person, or you adore them. Guess what she's in the process of getting to? Trust me, she'll be very confused as to WHY she's so attached to Isaac later. :D Just have trust in my lovelies. Welp, see you in the next piece! o3o)**


	10. Half Cocked

Dead silence is never comforting. Especially when you're walking into a dark, almost pitch black scrap yard, with piles of cars towering over you on either side. Keeping you locked in, and from seeing too far in any direction. It was enough to have Aelia holding herself just a little closer, clutching the package in her hand just a little tighter; and watching the shadows with far more paranoia then was healthy for _anyone_.

Every creak of metal from the wind was someone leaning around the edge of a broken down car, ready to put a bullet in her, and every small crunch of rock underfoot had her straining to hear if she was being followed.

The whole time, her body burned and ached with an ailment Aelia couldn't name, but it hurt all the same. Every step had her limping, and every breath was a wheeze that had to fight its way in and out. Her mangled arm remained tucked along her upper abdomen, trying to help support her injured form, and Lia's good hand clenched the priceless package in her pocket.

Such a small thing; and yet it held the lives of both Geneva, and herself. It made her wonder just what the extent of its prowess went to; and what lengths these people would go to, just to get their hands on it.

Just the thought had Aelia grimacing and biting down tightly.

It was a good thing she didn't plan on giving into their demands.

Huffing out a harsh breath, Aelia buckled down and limped just a bit quicker through the scrapyard. The faster she found the kidnappers and her aunt, the faster she could get this done and over with. They had said the Lakeside Scrapyard. She remembered. But they hadn't said _where_ in the scrapyard.

And therein lay her frustrations. The junkyard was _filled_ to the brim with cars, fridges, stoves, and anything else they could shove in it. It was one of the largest, as well, making it difficult to navigate. Hell, Aelia wouldn't have been surprised if it was going to take her the fifteen measly minutes she had left to hand over the modium just to _get_ to the kidnappers.

Luckily, it didn't take that long to locate them.

Lia slowed dramatically, almost coming to a complete halt when she suddenly emerged from a long hallway of towering, crushed cars, and into a clearing. It looked as though everything had been shoved out of the way, to make room. It made her wonder if they had access to heavy machinery- if so, this would be much more dangerous then she had previously thought it was going to be.

What gave it away as where she was supposed to be, were the two cars parked at the far edge of the clearing, and her injured aunt's body which was laying on the ground, just in front of them. The very sight had her heart seizing up in her chest.

From the Police Car that had obviously been tampered with- 'To Punish and Enslave' _really_?- to Geneva laying on the ground on her side. Her arms had been tied behind her back, her long, silvery hair was a mess and splattered with dried blood, and form was dirtied and bruised. She looked like she had been through hell.

While her eyes were closed- causing Aelia panic- Geneva's chest heaved with frail, desperate breaths that reassured Lia that she was, indeed, still alive.

"Stop there, _human_." That same voice, the one that had spoken to her over the phone, echoed through the clearing in a defined, volatile hiss. Disgust and hatred coated over it like toxin over a snake's fangs. Dangerous and undefined.

"Come no closer." Aelia had no choice but to obey the stranger's command, and came to a tense stop at the edge of the clearing. It was hard to breathe, her own nerves choked her throat closed, and the air was heavy. Where was he talking from? She couldn't see anyone, but the sound of the voice was definitely close.

It echoed throughout the clearing, bouncing off the metal, making it hard to locate where he was. Her eyes scanned around carefully; she couldn't afford to let him sneak up behind her and get the drop on her.

Lia had to proceed with caution; much as it went against her usual strategy. But she couldn't afford to be impulsive and reckless like normal.

There was too much on the line this time.

"Did you bring the modium?" The raspy voice continued, and Aelia scowled,

"Maybe I did." She snarled, "Release Geneva!" she didn't call her 'my aunt', attempting to keep emotions and feelings out of this. The more they knew about how important she was to Lia, the more they would try to use it and bank on it.

Aelia wasn't stupid. Hotheaded, a loose cannon, maybe. But not stupid.

"Show me the modium." His voice was careful and crisp, giving away nothing. Lia clenched her jaw tight, trying to withhold a frustrated scream, before pulling out the brown, paper package with her good hand and holding it high above her head.

No matter where the bastard was, there was no way he _wouldn't_ see it.

"I've got yer stupid modium right _here_ ya' fuck." Aelia sneered, unable to help the small vent of anger. The stress of the situation was slowly getting to her- she was never one that was able to keep her cool.

Aelia was the one you could count on to _explode_ before anyone else. This felt like _torture_ , keeping everything together as she had so far.

" _Excellent_." The low chuckle had her taking a step back, as a new energy seemed to hum through the air. The voice… was it coming from inside the car? But there was no one there! Aelia's teeth ground together viciously. It couldn't be a pre-recorded message, he was talking to her as if taking her responses into consideration… right?

Her thoughts were broken and scattered in the next moment.

 _Something was very wrong_.

The police car, and the nondescript, brown sports car next to it began to **shift**. Aelia stumbled back several feet with a breathless, panicked curse. They broke apart, large pieces moving out of the way, only for others to slide into place. It was like watching an episode of Voltron, when the robot lions came together to form that big, kickass robot.

Only it was a _car_ becoming a robot. And it didn't need any other cars to do it. Just itself.

By the end of it, two very large robotic entities were glaring down at her, their red eyes filled with hatred; and all Aelia could do was gape, her eyes wide and a sense of panic falling over her like slowly condensing snow.

 _Abort, this was not part of the plan,_ _ **fucking abort**_ -

That large, alien, robotic hand was suddenly reaching for her, and Aelia snapped into action. Her impulsiveness kicking in and saving her at the last second, giving her no time to think, despite the fact that her brain was whirling a thousand miles an hour, trying to process the fact that there were _giant alien robots_ right in front of her.

She threw herself into a tight roll, sliding under the- previously- police car's hand, and closer to its feet.

"Good job, Barricade. Maybe you can try catching a fleeing engine block next." The brown car sneered,

"Silence, Mudslide." Barricade snarled, and shifted, moving faster then Aelia thought possible, given his size, "What a _nuisance_." One hand slammed downward, pinning Lia to the ground as if she were little more then a disobedient puppy, while the other reached out and roughly grabbed Geneva, showing no concern for her obvious injuries.

"You put her the _fuck_ down!" Ignoring the agony that flared up at the crushing pressure throughout her body, Aelia screeched, struggling violently against the mud she was being pushed into,

"Shut up, human. You're in no position to be making demands." Barricade snorted, holding out her unconscious aunt to Mudslide, "Hold this." he sneered, as if Geneva were the most disgusting thing he had ever encountered.

"I'll kill you! I swear! I'll fucking take you apart and melt you down for scrap!" Lia howled desperately, ripping her body this way and that. But nothing had any effect. She was _stuck_ , she was _helpless_ , and that…

That was terrifying.

"Oh shut up already." Mudslide groaned, taking Geneva delicately, his nose- did he actually have a nose or-?- wrinkling up, "Oh c'mon… this one's leaking! It's going to get on my paint!"

"Enough, Mudslide. I must procure the modium for our Lord." Barricade frowned, and carefully picked Aelia up in his hand, scooping up a fair bit of mud and dirt with her.

Never once did Lia stop cussing them out, or struggling in his tight hold. Her plan was _fucked_. No, not just fucked, it was _impossible_. Gone. Out the window.

No one planned for _aliens_. No one planned for _this_. There was _nothing_ she could do. Compared to these metal titans, she was nothing. None of her training had prepared her for this. And it was all Aelia could do to hold her thoughts together in the wake of this knowledge. Tears burned behind her eyes; but she refused to let them fall.

Aelia wouldn't give them the _satisfaction_. She was better then that.

"Come here…" Barricade chuckled darkly, grabbing hold of the package still in her hand and forcibly removing it. No matter how tightly Lia clung to it- there was no keeping it from his grasp. No holding on to it. It left her hand, and became pinched between his pointer finger and thumb.

"Useless." he scoffed and tossed the human in his hand to the ground, uncaring that she fell almost a full building worth of feet to the ground.

As Barricade had stated- Aelia was useless to him.

Luckily, she knew how to land right to avoid too many injuries. First hitting the soft earth with her shoulder and then rolling along her back to distribute the impact throughout her already injured form. There was a sickening pop, as her already mangled arm popped out of place, and a choking scream left her as the throbbing pain from before became a burning bonfire.

Aelia was unable to complete the roll and land neatly as she usually would, instead flopping over bonelessly in the mud, limp and in too much pain to move.

She could only make a strangled, gurgling noise as more blood forced its way out of her mouth.

"Barricade. That human looks like it's going to go offline." Mudslide was a combination of fascinated, concerned, and disgusted, sneering slightly at Aelia's crumpled form, "Ugh, _gross_."

"Do I look like I care, Mudslide?" The police car scoffed, "Let her offline in the dirt. It's what she deserves. And get rid of that thing, it's going to follow soon after. We have what we want." he waved dismissively at the woman in Mudslide's hand.

"Alright. You're the boss." Shrugging, the brown robot dropped Geneva to the ground carelessly, letting her injured, bound form bounce against the earth sickeningly before it came to a pitiful stop. Aelia choked on more of her own blood, letting out a little pained, protestant warble, and began to slowly drag her halfway broken body closer to Geneva's.

It didn't matter how badly she hurt, both from the injuries the modium had caused, and from Barricade. It didn't matter that she had failed them both and that they were both about to die. What mattered was that Geneva was in pain, and Aelia desperately wanted to relieve her of it, even if all she could do was just unbind her and be near her in her final moments.

"Don't you want to check and make sure?" Mudslide tilted his head as Barricade began to turn towards the humans, package in hand,

"Make sure?" The police cruiser narrowed his eyes at his partner,

"Humans are sly. I would make sure that's the modium." The brown robot shrugged his shoulders, trying to appear nonchalant,

"Very well." Barricade snorted, and began to unwrap the package carefully, as if afraid to break its contents.

Aelia paid him no mind, their words like fuzz in her ears, instead gently curling her body around Geneva's. She gently braced her aunt's head on her lap and leaned over her crumpled and bloody form, using her good hand to pull at the knot on the ropes. Thankfully, they fell away easily enough at her careful administrations, leaving Geneva free.

"I'm here, I'm here auntie." Lia gasped and wheezed passed the blood that coated the inside of her mouth, trying not to sob violently, gently pressing her palm to the side of the older woman's face. Was she destined to lose everything?

" _What is this_?" Barricade snarled, "You STUPID human! **What is this**?!" he roared, dropped a multi-colored object to the dirt in front of Aelia and Geneva's crumbled forms, "Answer me femme! ANSWER ME BEFORE I KILL YOU!"

"You're already going to k-kill me." Aelia choked and coughed out a bit more blood, grinning around her wince of pain, "So what's the point?"

" _You-!_ " Baring his gray, sharp denta dangerously, Barricade took a rough step forward, shoving Mudslide back in his anger.

Aelia just smiled darkly, her eyes glinting. _She would have the last laugh_.

She laughed wetly around the glob of liquid in her mouth; even as Barricade's foot crushed the multi-colored rubix cube.

 **(AN: Aelia is the ballsiest of the balls. Bobbi would've been a hella lot more cautious, and went in with a trap in mind. Lilah would noped the fuck out and gotten Isaac's help. Lia? Fuck that shit.**

 **Also;**

 **FF: hey! New review, concerning a 'mistake' you made in a previous chapter.**

 **Me: Oh, okay, no biggie, lemme just reply and clear this up-**

 **FF: haha, jk, can't find the review, in fact, we're not gonna let you see any of your reviews.**

 **Me: ... *Face of a broken individual* Oh... okay... well that's cool too. Fine then, I'll put it in the AN next chapter. SO! Just to be clear; Aelia does in fact have 2 flip phones. Personal, and work. Never occured to me people would be bothered by one missing detail, so I'll clear that up in a future chapter. *Sigh* I am an imperfect person and FF is making it that much harder for me to function... *sob* I am a slug that has trouble even doing the slug.)**


	11. Defiance and Limits

"Tell me where the modium is, _human_."

"The name-" She coughed violently, "is _Aelia Jade Rex_." she grinned at him defiantly, savagely, "And you ain't gettin' _shit_."  
"Why you-!" Barricade reared back from where he had been leaning into her face, his red eyes flaring up with a rage that threatened to burn her to a crisp just by glancing in her direction. Oh he was _pissed_.

And that delighted the little hellion of a human to no end.

"Mudslide! Find that pathetic vehicle the human arrived in and _search it_! Tear it apart if you have to, just find that modium!" The police car pointed at his partner angrily, barely withholding a stream of Cybertronian curses,

"You got it boss." Shrugging, Mudslide started picking his way through the junkyard, to the entrance,

"You won't-" Lia coughed, her lungs spasming, "You won't find it. I guaran- fucking- tee it." she grinned at him widely, showing off her pink stained teeth in a primitive display of triumph.

"Oh? You think so do you?" Barricade slammed his hands down on either side of Aelia and her injured aunt's body, bringing his own denta to bare, "How about I just _strip it_ from your body?!" the roar had Aelia grimacing.

"Haven't you ever heard 'say it, don't spray it'?" She grouched, adrenaline at an all time high and filter nigh _gone_ from her mind.

She was going to die anyway, why not have some fun while she was at it?

"I should rip the _flesh_ from your _skeleton_!" Barricade was at the end of his rope, and sounded half crazed- his eyes wild,

"You do that and you lose the only person that knows where it is, _dumbass_." Aelia grinned, "Sorry _Barricade_ , but I hold all the cards." his name was said with volatile, bubbling anger that was just waiting to be fully released. The red eyed beast stopped at that, a cruel smirk curling onto his face as he looked down at the two women with laser like focus.

"Not _all_ the cards." His hiss was low and sadistic,

" _ **Fuck you**_ -"

"Oh? Did I hit a nerve?" Barricade cackled, reaching out to steal back Geneva from Aelia's desperate hold- only to be interrupted.

" _Not today,_ _ **Decepti-bitch**_." A roar resounded, as something large and black barreled right into Barricade's side, and sent him flying across the clearing. Unable to do much after the initial flinching and slight scream from the sudden intrusion; Aelia hunched herself over her aunt's still form protectively.

It was all she could do to keep her safe; and she stubbornly ignored the painful burn that bled through her body at the movement. Whatever was wrong with her; it was getting worse, and Lia didn't know how much longer she could hold out.

But she would be _damned_ if she let anything happen to Geneva.

Screaming, yelling, the occasional loud crash or explosion; it all became like numbed static in Aelia's ears. None of it mattered. Not right now. All the mattered was the battered body cradled between her arms, and keeping it out of harm's way.

Lia didn't even flinch when debris bounced off of her broad back, ricocheting off her skin like wood chips or rubber pieces. It was as if her body had completely shut down, becoming blind, numb, and deaf to the world.

Was this what shock was? She had experienced something similar, during her accident. It wasn't pleasant. Aelia found she didn't like it. The second time around was just as ugly as the first, time clearly didn't make it any easier.

And just like that, it went quiet. Not the quiet that came from the buzzing, static laced silence. But absolute, dead _soundlessness_. As if every noise that had ever been made, was suddenly drained from the world. Sucked out, as if by a black hole.

The fighting had ended just as quickly as it had started. Accurate, in Aelia's opinion. Fights usually didn't last very long. Skirmishes would end in seconds; though to those fighting, it would be an eternity. But for some reason, that knowledge didn't click. As if something had been _knocked out of place_.

It didn't occur to her that the fighting had stopped. That, perhaps, they were safe now.

Aelia's entire body trembled with the _need_ to keep her aunt safe. She was all she had.

"Aelia…" The rumble of her name was so familiar it **hurt**. Her hands clutched the too cold body in her arms a little tighter,

"Please, it's okay now." that soft, accented voice wasn't usually so gentle, was it? There was no way. No way it was the same person. Her gut rolled and Lia swore she was going to be ill for a moment. It was too much- it was just all _too much_.

"Hey, no one's gonna take her from you, okay?" The voice took a step closer, shaking the ground slightly. When had she clutched Geneva to her chest?

"Stay the _fuck_ back! You hear me?! Try anything and I'll- I'll take your fucking fingers off!" Jerking her head up, Aelia bared her teeth in an animalistic attempt to keep whoever was so close, at bay.

A familiar, worn, blue pair of eyes met her's. Tired and understanding in a way that pained her. But the body- the body was all wrong.

Black metal, gray cabling, silver accents stretching as far as the eye could see, instead of tanned flesh. A rough scar decorated one of the eyes, making it more of a silvery-blue, rather then the intense navy shade the other one was.

It was wrong- _wrong,_ _ **wrong,**_ _ **wrong**_.

But oh, so familiar. And that made it all the more confusing and painful. Where was she, even? Aelia's world was spinning. It was like she was sixteen again, laying in the dirt with a mangled, bloody mess of an arm, static singing in her ears. But she could distinctly remember that there _hadn't_ been a giant black robot there for that one.

"Aelia… please. We can help her. We can help _you_." Isaac reached out for her with a large hand that could have easily engulfed her form without issue, an equally massive cannon decorating the back of the arm,

"Is….aac?" It was getting hard to breathe now. Was she hyperventilating? Great, she was panicking, losing her shit. Hadn't she gone through enough training to prevent this sort of thing from happening? Well, to be fair, you can't exactly _take_ training for meeting something you never expected to _exist_.

"Yeah, yeah it's me. It's Isaac." The robot gave a wry smile, a gruff edge to his voice, "Who else would it be?" he grunted,

"Dumbass." Aelia laughed, but it was weak and raspy, a wheeze lacing through it. She coughed again, blood forcing its way past her cracked and dry lips.

She was doing that a lot lately. How much had she lost? This wasn't good.

"Ironhide, we don't have _time_ for this! Her body-" A white, red streaked robot stepped up to Isaac's side, gesturing at her in a near frustrated way,

"Get the _**fuck**_ back!" And just like that, the anger and desperation was back. Aelia roared and snarled, chest burning and heart thumping,

"You heard her Ratchet." Isaac growled and shoved the other robot back, "Just gimme a minute, would ya'?!" he was defending her. He was defending _Geneva_.

Aelia relaxed.

Isaac was trustworthy. She could count on him. Even if he _was_ a big alien now; she still knew him, as a person. But that didn't make much sense. Maybe she was dreaming? Yes, any minute now, she was going to wake up in her bed, to her aunt making breakfast, and Isaac and the Lennox's laughing from the kitchen, just like that had been for the past… how long had it been? She couldn't recall.

This was all just one, big, _bad_ nightmare.

"Aelia. Listen ta' me, okay?" Isaac growled, leaning forward on one knee, sinking into the wet earth a bit, as if it were a sponge. A hint of his roughness echoed just beneath the surface of his voice, but he was clearly trying his hardest to come across as gentle and comforting,

"Th-the robots, they- they were looking for- for a- a-" Lia gasped, stuttering and stumbling desperately; her body and mind folding under the pressure,

"Yes, the modium." Isaac nodded his large head slowly, "I know. It's okay. But you gotta listen to me, okay?"

"No- no- no-" She shook her head quickly, "You, you told me- you told me to give you whatever my Uncle had-"

"Aelia, that's not important right now-"

" _No!_ I don't _want_ it, don't you see?!" She snapped, screeching, before cutting off abruptly into a coughing fit, blood spattering out of her mouth and down her chin in torrents. Her mangled hand fumbled with zipper of her jacket desperately for a moment. Then frustration took over.

Laying Geneva in her lap jerkily with as much care as she could manage, Aelia practically ripped her jacket off of her shoulders, tore the modium from its spot, hidden in the inside pocket, and held it out for Isaac to take.

"Please, _please_ , just _take_ it!" It wasn't in Lia's nature to beg. It wasn't in her personality to use 'please' and 'thank you'. She was more likely to just grunt at someone or make a snide comment. It was… unsettling for Isaac to see her like this. It was as though she had reached the end of her rope and come completely unraveled.

Like she just wanted it all to end.

Everyone had their limits, no one understood that more then him; but to see Aelia hit her's- and hit it _hard_ \- was disturbing and difficult on multiple levels. She was too much like him. How did he deal with this? How did he _help_ her? It was like watching a wreck on the highway burning out of control, and being unable to do anything to help stop it.

"Alright, alright. Look, I'm takin' it, okay?" Isaac carefully reached out, and retrieved the cursed object from her fingers, making certain not to touch her as he did so, afraid to set her off and cause more fear.

Aelia practically sobbed, halfway gathering Geneva back up against her chest the moment it was gone from her hold. Her chest, tight and painful as it had been, suddenly loosened, and the burning sensation left her. The fire had been extinguished.

But in its place, came a terrible pain. An awful, _all consuming_ agony.

She struggled to stay sitting up, but it was all she could do to keep wheezing for air. Her body swayed, and slumped to the side, overtop Geneva's.

"Aelia! Ae-... li-... A-... Stay-... Come on-..." Isaac's large hand shot out and gently caught her, preventing her from collapsing into the mud. His words faded in and out, as if someone were turning the volume up and down, even muting him at some points.

Even when the sound became permanently muted, Aelia could still blankly watch his mouth moving; he was still trying to say something.

What was it? It seemed important.

Her world spun and became blurry, and darkness crept in around the edges of her vision. Was this it? The end? This situation felt familiar. As if it had happened once before. Had it? Aelia couldn't say for sure.

That white and red robot from before crouched in front of her, at Isaac's side; Lia didn't have the strength to scream at him this time. She couldn't even bite at him. This _sucked_.

Another robot, red and blue and much taller then the other two, stepped over to Isaac's other side. He seemed familiar too. Had she met him before? Him… yes, it seemed like a male. That seemed right.

But she could have _sworn_ she would have remembered meeting a giant alien robot. That just seemed like it would leave a lasting impression on someone.

There was no more time to think, no more time to analyze. Aelia's vision went dark against her will, as everything finally shut down against the harsh reality that had plagued her up until this point. The last thing she saw, and was fully aware of, were a pair of terrifyingly intense, worried eyes.

One a soft, silvery, liquid like blue, and the other, a dark shade of navy.

'How pretty…' the thought was disconnected, unstable, and broken. And it was the last conscious, halfway clear thing that passed through Aelia's mind.

It didn't matter. Not anymore.

 **(AN: Ooooo. Ooooooooooooo. I loved writing this. So... Lilah is generous and kind, Bobbi is reasonable and calm... Aelia's pretty much a shot of whiskey and paranoid while being set on fire.  
:D ****_Character building. Yes please ma'am_** **.  
Also, if this whole 'review not found' bull isn't fixed soon so I can chat with ya'll again I'ma be... mildly upset- to put it lightly.**

 **FF can go eat a potato up the butt.)**


	12. My Will Is Stronger

She was tired. _So_ tired. Why was she tired? It didn't make any sense. Everything was heavy and lead like. Gravity seemed so much more powerful in this instance. As if everything were against her.

But then that begged the question.

Who was she? Where was she? Exhaustion weighed her eyes down, and yet she couldn't drift back off to sleep. Something ached in her lower stomach. What was going on? Blank confusion permeated her form.

Then it was rushing back in a maelstrom of information.

Aunt Geneva. Aliens. Giant robots. _Blood so much blood-_ pain, unlike anything she had ever- _why was she bleeding? Why was_ _ **Geneva**_ _bleeding-_ Isaac, only he wasn't exactly Isaac- _She had tried so hard, but she had failed, she had fail_ _ **everyone**_ \- but then…

Static.

Aelia's memories weren't completely intact. Everything that had happened was blurry, laced with uncertainty and panic. Events shifted around, not making sense in her mind, like a movie that had been cut up and put back together wrong. But she didn't need everything to be in order, for it to be perfect.

 **Geneva**.

Where was Aunt Geneva? Aelia peeled her eyes open, ignoring the aching protest and begging call of sleep, a plain white ceiling greeting her sight. No, no there was no time. There was no _time_ for such PIDDLY things. All that mattered was getting to her Aunt Geneva. Everything else could wait. Everything.

Lia clenched her jaw so tightly it felt like something would give.

Slowly, ever so slowly, she rolled over to her left side. It hurt less than her right, and she knew she would be more likely to move herself into a sitting position if she used her stronger arm. Where the _hell_ was she?

This _looked_ like a hospital, but not one Aelia had ever been to, that was for certain. The ceiling was too far away, the doors leading out were fucking _huge_ , and the soft table she was laid out on was massive. Not to mention far too high to be for human use- if Aelia tried to jump or tumble her way down, she was more likely to be _dead_ than anything else.

Ah, and there brought up another fairpoint she had been trying to ignore up until then. Pain. Aelia grimaced, biting down on it the best she could, but her jaw was already clenched down as tight as possible. _Everything_ hurt. Far worse then she could have anticipated. Like when she had woken after surgery on her arm, but all over her body, and a hell of a lot more intense. It was like a punch to the gut.

Lia groaned, low in her chest, almost like a growl, with what little air was left in her lungs.

Fuck this, she had to find her aunt. Heaving in a lungful of air, Aelia shoved herself up into a sitting position. Bandages, wrapped around nearly every inch of her form, rustled and itched, but she shoved them to the back of her mind.

Distractions. That's all they were.

Dark eyes darted around the room. She could see more, now that she was sitting up. There were more of the metal tables like the one she was laying, lined along the edges of the room. Most of them were empty, except-

 _There!_

Aunt Geneva's body was laid out, bound up in bandages like Aelia's own. She appeared to be resting. Heaving another grunt, Lia rolled onto the balls of her feet. She had to get over there. She had to get to Geneva's side and make _certain_ she was okay. It was _imperative_. It didn't matter that her body was practically on fire and screaming at her with pain, and it _definitely_ didn't matter that Aelia was having an existential crises from the knowledge of aliens existing and being somewhere entirely _new_ and _dangerous_ feeling.

Nothing mattered more than Aunt Geneva.

Pressing her palms firmly to the soft, metallic material of the table, Aelia pushed herself upwards. From the crouched position on the balls of her feet, into a hunched standing form. Her knees stayed bent, and she didn't stand up straight- her back being leaned over to avoid pulling on anything.

Aelia's body hurt bad enough as is, she didn't need to add to it. The thought made her grimace.

What the hell were these tables originally used for, anyway? It couldn't be for humans. The width alone had to be at _least_ twenty feet, and the length had to be upwards of fifty! It was a waste of space, if it really was made for humans, but Aelia doubted that.

Moving to the edge of the table, she peered over it to the ground below, her stomach swooping at the distance. That was too much, way too much. It made her want to cringe away and close her eyes. But she didn't. Lia took a deep breath and continued to look.

While she wasn't as afraid of this as she was of flying; heights still made her stomach roll.

Giving a silent curse, Aelia dropped back down to a crouch, ignoring the screaming protests her body was making. _Everything hurt so fucking bad_. It took everything she had not to cry, or make noise. Her eyes burned fiercely.

But the human that had been patrolling the room hadn't seen her, at least. She had dropped down just as the guard had looked up in her direction. Aelia ground her teeth slightly, taking slow, measured breathes. What were they? Prisoners? This seemed like a place of healing- a hospital of some kind, but looks could be deceiving.

Listening closely, Aelia counted the steps from the guard. Once she was sure they were walking away from her, she pushed herself up into a controlled standing position again and took another peek. A world war two helmet, brown hair sticking out in random tufts along it's edge, and- Aelia was forced to crouch again. So the guard was female. Not that it made much difference, but it made her more confident in a physical confrontation.

Letting out a slow breath, she made her way, painfully slow, to the opposite side of the table. If she had to make her way down by hand, it made more sense to do it from the side that the female guard couldn't see. Grimacing, Aelia wondered what they were using to keep an eye on their vitals- if they cared enough for that. There didn't seem to be any machines to monitor blood pressure or anything.

Maybe they were using more advanced tech?

Shaking the thoughts off, feeling far more off balanced than she was willing to admit, Aelia braced along the edge of the table, and peered off. Fate, fortune, or luck had decided to smile down on her for once. A ladder was worked along the side of one of the legs of the chair. That made things _so_ much easier.

Pleased, Lia turned herself around and made her way down it jerkily. It was so hard to hold her body up, and more than once she felt her muscles shake violently and threaten to drop her. It didn't help that she was having to climb down in an awkward position thanks to her crippled right arm, the shoulder of which was absolutely _killing_ her with pain.

Why was just about everything out to get her?

It was better once Lia was down on the ground, where she no longer had to strain to keep her body from following the laws of gravity, all the way down to the painful looking metal floor below. For a moment, she slumped down, flat on her rump, desperately trying to collect her lost breath. It was like she had run a marathon, rather than just made her way down some stupid ladder. Everything ached and was _awful_.

Aelia clenched her eyes shut, leaning back against the table leg. She was almost there. Almost there. She kept repeating that to herself, trying to gather up the will and strength to move again. She feared she had used it all just getting this far- but Aunt Geneva _needed_ her. And before Lia knew it, she was able to roll to her feet again, with the help of the table leg.

Bracing her left hand against it's metal surface, Lia slowly shoved herself to a standing position. Her entire body resented both the movement, and her. The pain was nearly blinding, and she had to stop once in awhile, leaning against the structure, before finally making it into an acceptable standing position.

Stretching her aching right hand, limited by the crippling handicap there, Aelia slowly peered around the edge of the table. Luckily, the guard was looking in the opposite direction, and was as far away as Lia could hope her to be.

Inhaling deeply and holding it in her chest, Aelia crouched low and ran across the floor.

She kept as quiet as possible, and made it just in time to the opposing table legs before the helmet clad soldier turned around. Plastering her broken and aching body to the metal of the leg, Aelia listened closely. No movement. What was the guard even _doing_ , really? There wasn't a real path to her movements, and she didn't seem to be actively looking for intruders or escapees. If anything she just seemed…

Worried.

Anxious, even. She would pace up and down the floor, then in a circle or two, before standing stock still for a solid five to ten minutes, staring holes in the door leading out of the room. It mystified Aelia.

Maybe she worked her? Or perhaps she was waiting for someone?

Whatever. It didn't matter. Lia sneered. Clearly, that run in with Geneva's kidnappers- she still wondered if that was all one big hallucination- had REALLY shaken her up, because normally Aelia didn't care about such things. What mattered was what was going on here and now. Not 'what if's', 'what could be's', or even 'but maybe's'. The present was solid and firm, and had to be taken as it was, without too much thought.

Or you risked overthinking, and putting everything on the line.

The helmet clad woman turned sharply on her heel, clapped something loudly against her hand, and made loud steps to the other side of the room. Aelia could almost _feel_ her scowl. She grimaced. Getting caught was not on her to do list.

But the distance between her table and Aunt Geneva's wasn't exactly _small_. And the hallway had that damned guard in the way! What was more, the burning pain in her body was increasing, telling Aelia that it wouldn't be long before she wasn't able to stand up any more, and everything gave out.

Maybe if she threw something and got her attention? Lia ran her hands down her torn and dirty clothes. Maybe her phone-

She froze, remembering how she had shattered her personal flip phone against the wall. Well, that was out. But maybe her _work_ flip phone- her hand stilled against her opposite pocket, and she resisted the urge to growl. Nothing. She had apparently left it in the passenger seat of her pick up truck.

Great, just _great_.

"Bobbi Bellmark, please head-" Aelia didn't listen to the rest of the announcement that came over the speakers. A smirk pulled at her lips. Perhaps the universe did care to some degree after all. Good.

The guard- Bobbi- rushed out of the hospital room, and out of sight. The doors slid closed after her, and Lia wondered if they were motion sensored, or if they worked by some form of camera. That was going to be a pain in the ass if she hoped to get her and Geneva out of here alive and well. But that would come later.

First…

Making a face, Aelia limped her way across the expanse of the hallway, and under the table she was so focused on. Almost there, almost there. She continued to repeat to herself, pushing the limits of her body. It was only that phrase that had her make it all the way to the opposing table's ladder.

She nearly cried at the thought of hauling her broken, bandage covered body up the damn thing. It had been bad enough going _down_ the other one. It stared back at her. Taunting. For several minutes, Aelia just stared back at it, hardening herself to the task at hand. It didn't matter. None of it did. All that mattered was Aunt Geneva.

The thoughts reaffirmed themselves in her mind. Repeating what she needed.

And then, threading her mangled arm through one of the runs, and gripping the outside with her good one, Lia began to throw her body up the torturous structure.

Sweat poured over her scarred and battered form, and her muscles began to spasm. This was almost more than she could physically handle- and Aelia didn't give a single damn. She was _almost there_. Just one more rung, just one more.

It was a lie. And yet, it was just what she needed to keep going.

By three fourths of the way up, she was heaving for breath, ready to vomit, and she swore she had torn more than a few muscles. Everything hurt like hell, and was ready to give out. But that wasn't anywhere near as concerning as the black that kept flickering at the edges of her vision, threatening to pull her back under.

The thought of passing out while climbing up something tall didn't exactly appeal to Lia. And, with a grimace, she held on a little tighter, hoping to fight it off. She had just reached the end of the ladder, when the black swarmed her vision, and she toppled forward. Soft material greeted her sweaty, gross, aching form, and she rolled with it, onto her back.

Laying there, heaving for breath, trying to regain herself, Lia let a sense of satisfaction roll over her. After all that hell, after everything-

She had made it.

"Yeah." Chuckling roughly, Aelia punched the air above her as her vision slowly swam back into focus. She had _made_ it. Now, just to get to Geneva and-

"Just _what_ are you doing?!" Aw, **fuck**.

 **(AN: Oh hey look, we're back with Aelia! I forgot I left this on a cliffhanger, lol.**

 **But hey, I'm gettin' REALLY good at the whole 'finishing what I start' thing. Go me!**

 **And as always, if you want to support me and get more content- that will slowly improve with time- you can subscribe to my YouTube channel, or check out my Etsy shop. Links to which you can find on my profile! :D Its super appreciated, loves, trust me.)**


	13. We Need To Talk

Aelia didn't have the strength necessary to sit up and face her accuser. She had already spent all that she had by just working her way across the room. The thought- and her painfully pulsating body- made her grimace. She should have been able to do so much more. But… maybe if she just…

Wiggling slightly, she managed to shove her head back into the soft plushness of the medical table, tilting her head back so she could see the speaker. It put a strain on her neck and spine, and pulled at her throat, but it worked well enough.

Granted, he was upside down, but still.

White and red, too large to be allowed, face covered by a red visor and a faceplate- and… robotic. The last part clicked at the end, whereas it should have been the first. A certain slowness permeated her brain, before being swept away. That nightmare she had had before came rushing back in an angry torrent. Adrenaline hit Aelia's system like a brick wall, and suddenly her body wasn't as spent as she had first thought.

Rolling over onto her knees, into a crouched position, she hovered over her aunt's body, widening herself so as to look bigger. The bigger you were- the more intimidating you came off as, right? Though there was no way she could compete with how big the damn robot was…

It was still the best she could do at the moment.

Robots. She had to try hard not to blame Japan.

Fists flicking up loosely in front of her chest, quivering wildly, Aelia's mind whirled, wondering how on earth she was going to land any _real_ damage on the robot. Her eyes flicked over it's almost petite form, but found no obvious weaknesses. Just metal and thick cabling for as far as the eye could see. Nothing she could get her hands in and _really_ hurt with. Maybe if she shoved her hands in, past the cabling? Maybe that hid the more delicate components within.

But _fuck_ she didn't know for certain, and that might be asking to be crushed beneath it's feet!

She just _didn't_ know these being's bodies well enough to make that kind of call.

"Please… I don't want to fight- it's just- your straining yourself! Please!" He spoke with a gentleness that couldn't compare to anyone she had met. Even his prior words, while loud and abrasive, seemed to have been spoken out of panic and a certain fear that she would hurt herself.

He extended his hands outwards, as if to prove that he wasn't a threat. To show he carried no weapons. Though, with his size alone- he really didn't _need_ to.

Aelia stayed still, watching him for a good moment or two longer. Scanning him.

She had been trained to read people, but he was a little more difficult. With his differing body and face hidden, it was hard to see if he was showing his true intentions or not. It was a vast contrast to a human. Even the body language, at the core, seemed so very different in comparison to what she was used to seeing. But regardless, she didn't really have a choice, did she? She was backed into a corner.

Aelia grimaced, her eyes flicking downwards to take in her aunt's comatose form. Geneva was too injured to run, or go anywhere. Even being carried could do more harm than good. She needed this medical treatment. And where there was one robot, there were bound to be more, right? This seemed like where they stayed- lived- or whatever. Their base. If that was the case, who knew how many more were here?

Aelia didn't even think she was capable of taking on _one_ , much less multiples at the same time.

Eyeing the robot warily, she slowly slumped down next to her aunt, laying a hand lightly on her bandaged shoulder. A silent gesture of protection and warning. Even if they were backed up against the wall and couldn't leave- come hell or high water, Aelia would defend Geneva to her dying breath. And apparently, the robot knew it.

Keeping himself open, and his hands out, he drew himself around the berth, so she could see him better, and be able to sit between him and her aunt. This way, she would feel more secure, and maybe relax a bit more. Or at least, he hoped so.

If he could, he wanted to avoid any and all violence.

"I'm First Aid. I'm the second in command of the med bay. I've been working on your aunt since she came in. What's your-"

"Is she going to recover?" Aelia's voice was raspy as hell, and drier than a dessert, cracking in places it hadn't in a long time. Grimacing, she ignored it. She needed answers, and she had little care for interrupting First Aid.

"Yes, she'll be just fine." ignoring her biting tone, he assured her with a soft, kind voice, seeming to smile behind his face plate. Aelia stared at him for one cold moment, before deciding he wasn't lying, and letting herself slump a little in relief. She couldn't keep this up, her whole body was quivering with exhaustion, and if First Aid wanted to, he could easily overpower her. Hell, he could probably do so with her fully recovered!

But he didn't.

"Miss, please, let me examine your wounds. You may have torn something open." Honest, pleading. He waited for _her_ consent. He could have easily _made_ her do what he wanted with his size alone. And yet… Aelia folded. This had to be irritating for him, and here he was, humoring her and being endlessly patient. That had to leave some kind of mark. Well, that and she didn't have the strength to argue with him anymore- and she was straight out of options. Compliance was her best bet.

Stepping forward, Aelia practically flopped down, just a short ways from Geneva. Her legs ached and almost seemed to thank her through their pulsating, burning exhaustion. First Aid shifted cautiously, but didn't take her silent cue.

"Knock yourself out, 'Aid." Aelia raised her good shoulder in a half shrug as she grunted, closing her eyes and going mostly limp.

"O-Oh I would never- wait. This is a human form of expression, yes?" she snorted in amusement at him, "Ah, I see. Well, then, don't mind if I do." stepping closer, he bent and set to work. Aelia had never known a doctor to be as gentle as First Aid was. Especially not in the emergency rooms case.

When she had lost her arm, they had never been so considerate and careful. More rushed and rough, leaving Aelia in more pain and drawing out screams that they would be quick to shush, as if she hadn't the right to be in any sort of discomfort. It hadn't been a very… pleasant experience.

But First Aid was certainly something else.

With his thumb and pointer finger, he gently picked up one arm after the other, and nudged apart her legs to examine her knees. With precision, and a careful eye, he took note of every injury, and made certain that all of his work had held during her small… journey. Occasionally, he would ask her- more often then she would like, and it was kinda annoying to be honest- if he was hurting her or making her uncomfortable. She was too tired to snap and yell at him to just get it over with, though, and poor First Aid was spared her irritated wrath.

Then there was the fact that, without her having to ask, he pressed a glass of water into her palm as he worked.

The water was cool, and ran down her throat soothingly. Everything she had needed. It took all of Aelia's self control not to just glug it.

Finished with her, he drew back, "You didn't reopen anything, so there's that." relief coated his voice, "You may want to get some sleep, Miss…"

"Aelia. Just Aelia. No Miss." She grunted, coughing around the glass slightly, giving in this time. She almost felt bad about interrupting him the first time. Almost. Aelia had seen people just as nice as First Aid. And had been taken advantage of all the same. How polite someone was on the surface was not a good enough judge of character in her opinion. She would have to continue to watch him, and see more of what he did, before she even _considered_ feeling bad about being rude.

"You should go back to your berth and rest. Get some sleep. Here, I can give you a lift." First Aid extended one of his large hands, friendly enough, intending to move her. Aelia's hackles rose, and she felt as though her fur had been rubbed the wrong way.

"Touch me and I'll take your fingers off! I'm not moving. I'm stayin' right here." Narrowing harsh, steel colored eyes, Aelia half bared her teeth, but found herself unable to look more threatening than that. Her body was spent, and she could only hope First Aid wouldn't call her bluff. She couldn't even grip the the glass tight. Her good hand hurt too badly to do so. The crippled one jerked slightly, spasming in response to her irritation and fear.

For a moment, everything was tense, and they stayed there, watching one another.

"Alright, easy, you can stay there with your aunt, Aelia, no need to be violent." First Aid's light voice had dropped to a soft, almost hushed murmur, "Here, let me take that glass." she placed it in his palm warily, making certain to keep an eye on him the whole way. Once he had the dish, First Aid drew back, his fingers curling back slowly, almost in a hurt manner. He seemed to be trying to reassure her, to bring her back down to where she had been, prior to his suggestion. But Aelia only eyed him suspiciously.

"Please, try and get some rest, I'll be back to check on you later." Seeing as he was going to have no luck here, First Aid withdrew completely, and quickly exited the room through the same door he had emerged from.

It wasn't long after his form had disappeared through the sliding door that Aelia's eyes began to droop again. Her body called for sleep, and with no immediate threat in the vicinity, she found herself giving in.

Darkness swallowed her whole.

XxX

Waking the second time around was far more pleasant, and less panic inducing.

Tired, dull, darkened gray eyes blinked open slowly. Aelia drew up her good hand and rubbed the sleep from them to clear her vision. Light from over the berth greeted her in a harsh twinkle. Grimacing and struggling not to groan, she pushed herself into a sitting position.

Everything still ached like hell, but it was better than the last time she had woken.

"Fuck…" Raising a hand, Aelia half hid her face in her palm. Geneva. Injured- broken- _needed to find-_ there she was.

Panic had briefly seized her, but a quick inhale and flick of her eyes had reassured Aelia that her aunt was safe and well. She even seemed to be sleeping better than before. As if her mind had been put at east.

The old woman was more bandage than person, and Aelia _hated_ it. The sharp, white cloth was such a sharp contrast to Geneva's tanned skin, and it served as a harsh reminder of just how much Aelia had let her _down_. How much she had _failed._

It hurt. It hurt _bad_.

Her hands clenched. The nails of the good one bit into her palm painfully, threatening to draw blood. The crippled one burned fiercely at the pressure and creaked under the strain, as if threatening to give way all over again. Why? Why was it so hard for her to follow _one_ damn objective? To see it through to the end?

 _Keep Aunt Geneva safe_.

It hadn't been that fucking hard!

"Nice to see you awake." The low, quiet, rough rumble broke her from her self hatred, drawing Aelia back to the present. Whipping around to face the voice, she stopped short at who stared back at her. One eye dark blue, the other a silvery light shade of the first.

"Isaac." It was less of a greeting, and more of a sharp acknowledgement. Aelia wasn't happy with him in the slightest.

"We have a lot to talk about, Aelia."

 **(AN: Hey, its been a 'hot' minute, hasn't it? Haha, I'm so punny. :c But anyway, shits gone down, and I'm sorry if updates slow way down, guys.**

 **I just got new glasses after losing my last ones to the creek- and almost drowning but that's less important- and I've been adjusting to that. Then, I've been having blood drawn and the doc is going on about another surgery so... we'll see on that, yeah? Yay! Under the knife again! :c**

 **Finally... I found out my boyfriend- now ex- of 2 years was trying to have phone sex with my** ** _mother_** **. Repeatedly. ...Yeah. But hey- this'll make a killer story one day, right? Just more experience to give my characters life. Oh boy, oh boy, this is gonna be so much fucking** ** _fun_** **.)**


	14. Tattered, Shattered, Broken

Silence reigned for several minutes. Aelia was the first to break it.

"You lied to me."

"I had good reason to." Isaac's tone was quiet, but strong. And yet, there was a distinct, undernote of guilt. As if he wished it wasn't so.

"I'm aware. The fact remains that you still did it." Aelia leveled him with a calm stare, hardening herself to him as she settled into a more comfortable sitting position, tucking her crippled right hand under her shirt. Out of sight. Just like she had when she had first met him. It was a statement to Isaac. He had lost the ground he had gained prior to this. They were right back to the beginning. And he _hated_ it.

"Aelia…" He sighed, one large, black hand coming up to rub at his face,

"Did you ever even plan on telling me, Isaac?" She couldn't help the slight hurt that echoed through her voice as she looked away from him. She didn't want to see his expression. She had thought they were friends. That she _mattered_ to him.

"...No." Pain flittered through him, "I'm sorry, Aelia."  
"Yeah, me too." Aelia clenched her teeth unbearably tight, feeling her jaw creak under the pressure she put on it. They were silent for several minutes longer again. She understood why he had lied. Had known it was _necessary_.

But that didn't stop the illogical _hurt_ that sprung up from it. It wasn't reasonable, but it was there, all the same.

"Ironhide." His voice had her stopping short from getting lost in her feelings,

"What?"  
"My name. It isn't Isaac." He rumbled, looking at her hesitantly, "Its Ironhide. Isaac is just… the name I use around…"  
"Unsuspecting humans." Aelia filled in for him, exasperated,

"Yeah." Ironhide reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, "But you can call me-"

"Ironhide. Got it." She cut him short, unable to help the small flare ups of irritation. His voice sparked something deep inside of her, a bonfire that burned almost painfully. It tightened her chest, and burned her eyes, rubbing her fur the wrong way at the same time.

It was a kind of hurt rage Aelia had never felt before. Not like this. Her good hand tightened again, and she forced it to relax. It was already hurting bad enough, there wasn't a reason to add to it. The stitches from a set of deep cuts along her palm and knuckles seemed to almost sigh in relief at her decision.

"Aelia… If I could have, if I was allowed-"  
"Isaa- Ironhide." She caught herself, and rubbed at the side of her face with her good hand, brushing away more grit from her face, "The fact remains that you lied to me. Whatever your reasoning, your wants, or your intentions…" Aelia clenched her teeth and took a deep breath to calm herself, "You still did it."

Ironhide was quiet, his alien expression difficult to interpret. But Aelia could almost feel the regret and hurt coming off of him. She steeled herself against it, and turned her face away from him. He did this. She didn't understand the full situation, yes, but he still lied about something this big. This important.

He wasn't the only one hurting.

"Can we start over?" There was such a painful hurt in Ironhide's voice, and Aelia wanted to laugh. Not out of amusement, but of bitterness. Did he really think it was that simple? That this could all be solved just like that? Naive. Silly. Childish.

There were a lot of things she could call him in response to that.

"No Isa- Ironhide." It was getting easier to call him by this new name, but still difficult to think of him as anything other than Isaac. Her friend had never really been her's. Isaac had never really existed. And that hurt Aelia more than anything else. This entire time- it had all been one big, elaborate lie. A joke. And her she was, right at the butt of it. She clenched her good hand tight again, pulling at the injuries there and offering a burning pain that helped keep the tears at bay. She hadn't cried in front of anyone in nearly twenty years. She wasn't about to start now, and possibly give him the satisfaction of seeing how much this affected her.

"Then what can I do?" Ironhide rumbled, frustrated and pained. He wanted a solution. A goal. He was floundering and he hated it. On the battlefield, there was always a plan, even if it was a simple one. There was always a task. Something to do. Something that needed done. He was never left with empty hands.

But now he was idling. Here, at Aelia's mercy. He wasn't sure if he could handle it.

"I don't know. But it's not that simple." She looked away from him. Aelia refused to just sweep this under the rug. To let it go ignored until it started to rot inside of her. She couldn't live like that, and she would die before she sold her pride and did it for him.

Not even him. Aelia killed the thought before she could think of the implications that brought on.

"Aelia…" Ironhide hesitated, then reached out for her, his good eye piercing through her.

"No." Aelia leaned back and turned her head away stubbornly, "No, Ironhide." he winced painfully. She didn't say his real name like she had his human one. This wasn't warm and gruff and full of affection. This was _cold_ and sharp. As if he were a stranger, or worse still, a foe. Ironhide had lost many friends, but never like this.

The pain was similar, however.

"Then I guess there isn' anythin' else to say." Ironhide rumbled, steeling himself and bringing his hand back to his side. There wasn't anything else he could offer. No other alternatives or reassurances. Nothing he could say or do to change her mind. So why stick around and try? Why attempt to salvage what was in complete tatters?

"Guess so." Aelia grunted, and offered nothing more. It was over. As clean, as messy, as quick, as slow, as a gunshot through the head.

Ironhide stood, slow and measured, and made his way out of the door. Giving Aelia time to speak, time to call him back. Though he knew she wouldn't. She was a stubborn woman, and once she made up her mind, she wasn't likely to change it. That didn't stop him from trying, though. If there was even the smallest inkling that he could gain back what was lost, he would jump on it in a heartbeat.

"Ironhide." He stopped, his spark lifting in hope, "Don't ever speak to me again." it crumbled to the ground, shattering painfully into a thousand shards. But he didn't let it show. Didn't offer her that satisfaction. Ironhide hadn't let anyone see anything except his gruff, hardass nature in hundreds of years, if not thousands. He wasn't about to start now.

Ironhide left without another word, giving in to Aelia's demand.

It was silent for several long moments. She drew up a hand to her eyes, willing the painful, wet burn away. She would not cry, _she would not cry_ , **she would** _ **not**_ **cry**!  
"That was a bit harsh…" The voice had her hand flying from her eyes into a fist, before it seized up and she drew it to her chest with a rough curse. Pain throbbed through it, agonizing as it settled into her knuckles and warned her against using it again.

"The fuck do you want?" Aelia glared up at a concerned First Aid. Or at least, he seemed concerned. The eyebrows over the visor covering his eyes were furrowed, and while she couldn't see past his mask, the side of his face were slanted downwards, as though he were frowning. She was getting better at filling in the blanks concerning his expression, at least. That comforted her a little.

"He was genuinely trying. I don't think I've ever seen Ironhide care so much." First Aid offered, folding his hands politely in front of himself. He gave off vibes similar to a well brought up, respectful man. Like those church going young boys she had met once while passing a store. Aelia snorted at the memory, and First Aid's words.

"What's it to you?" A bad attitude settled into her chest, tight and hot with anger.

"He's my comrade. I'm a medic. And… I'd like to think of us as tentative friends? We've only just met but you seem kind." He offered earnestly, and Aelia almost laughed. Disbelieving, caught by surprise, off guard. First Aid seemed so innocent, so eager. Kind? She was far from it. She was… she was…

Cruel. Hateful. Bitter.

And that was just a start. Aelia could think of at least twenty more words that suited her better than 'kind'. But she didn't laugh. She held it in and instead settled for a derisive snort at him, rolling her eyes. Because it was all she could offer. It was all Aelia could do to keep First Aid at arm length and not give him any leeway. To keep him from getting closer, like he so wanted. Aelia had let Is- _Ironhide_ close, and what had it gotten her?

No, better not to make the same mistake twice.

"So when's my smoke break?"  
"Smoke… break?" First Aid tilted his head to the side,

"Yeah, you know…" Aelia reached down, feeling around for her cancer sticks, but found her pockets emptied. She went still, eyes narrowing.

"...First Aid. Where are my cigarettes?"  
"Cigarettes?" Confusion deepening, First Aid looked around, seemingly seeking backup for what he was rapidly realizing was a very dangerous situation.

"My cigarettes." Aelia took a deep, growling breath, struggling to keep calm, " _Where are they_?"

"I… I don't understand." First Aid took a step back. It was almost comical, given she couldn't do _anything_ to hurt him. She was a partial of his size, crippled, and horribly injured. Even if Aelia wanted to, she couldn't do anything.

"They're… white, with a light brown cotten bit on the end." Aelia gestured with her least hurt hand, trying to convey what she wanted.

"Oh. Those." His visor flashed once, almost eagerly, "Yes, well, my scans procured some interesting information about those. They really aren't good for you." his brow furrowed, "They can cause cancer, ulcers, and-"

"Yes, yes, yes." Aelia growled at him, "But where _are_ they?"  
"You don't mean to _use_ them?" First Aid looked appalled,

"Duh. Now give me. I want them." She held out an open hand to him, eyes glinting,

"No." The medic crossed his arms, firm.

"Why not?" Aelia demanded, near snarling, teeth bared. She _needed_ her tar and nicotine, dammit. It was hard to breathe and her head hurt like hell.

"For one, I don't _want_ to. It's bad for your health." First Aid scolded her, waving a finger in her face, "Second, I don't _have_ them."  
"Then who does?!" Aelia was close to exploding, her patience reaching the end of its tether. She had never been terribly good with other people, and it was showing.

"Ironhide."

Aelia thought she was going to be sick. He had her _addiction_ and she had just told him off and to just leave her _alone_? She groaned, running her good hand through her hair with a sneer.  
"You're joking."

"No. I'm not." First Aid stared at her hard, ungiving,

"Can't you just get me another pack?"  
"No!"  
"Why not?!"  
"For one, that's not allowed on base. No drugs, alcohol, or tobacco products permitted." First Aid huffed, "Two, I'm a _medic_. Why would I give you something harmful?" he was clearly getting more, and more fed up with her as time went on. Though, for certain, he was still more patient and calm than Aelia.

Then again, she was desperately needing her cancer sticks.

"Fuck." Groaning, Aelia rubbed at the bridge of her nose, clenching her eyes closed tightly. Already the shaking and sweating was setting in, and it wouldn't take long before the vomiting followed. How long had it been since she had had a smoke?  
Aelia couldn't remember.

"You know… You could always talk to Ironhide and ask for them back. Maybe apologize?" First Aid suggested hopefully, folding his hands together in front of his chest.

"Hey, 'Aid?" Aelia gruffed at him through the hand over her nose. She would rather go through this painfully, quitting cold turkey, then swallow her pride. It just wasn't happening.

"Yes?"

"Fuck off with that shit."

 **(AN: Oh dear. Aelia is a tad more prideful than Bobbi or Lilah, and it shows.**

 **I'm so sorry this is late! But, well, you see... I took time off to recover from my ex and some other shit, and when I came back, my hard drive had taken a shit and needed replaced. But I'm back now! Better than ever, so no worries. c:)**


	15. Dagger Tip

The days passed in a painful, hazy blur. More often than not, Aelia couldn't tell if she was up, or down. Awake, or asleep. Alive, or dead.

Her body ached beyond belief. At first, it was just the pain of healing and exhaustion. Needing constant sleep to heal was normal, and so she didn't think much of it. But then came the shaking, and the sweating. The horrendous _withdrawal_ that came from going without her addiction. The heat, and the tightness, and the _pain_.

By the third day, Aelia was ready to kill someone. First Aid was, confusingly, perfectly patient with her, regardless.

Then there was something aside from the withdrawal that set in rapidly, without warning. A stabbing, wrenching pain that ate away at her insides. At first, Aelia chocked that up to being the symptoms of no nicotine and tar as well- but then it proved otherwise.

On the fourth day, Aelia found herself awake. For a moment there was confusion, wondering if she was still asleep. But the pain in her abdomen told her otherwise. The need to pee was strong, and had her slowly rolling onto her feet without any further delay.

Geneva was still out cold. Trapped in a coma that First Aid had sadly admitted that she may never awaken from. It was enough to make Aelia hurt, and feel alone- but she felt that, if anyone could wake up from a coma, it was Geneva.

That didn't stop the agony piercing her chest every time she saw her aunt, however.

Grimacing and turning, Aelia slowly limped to the stairs leading down off the 'berth', as First Aid called it. Her head throbbed, and she felt clammy and sticky with sweat. A nasty combination she could very well do without, thank you very much.

But First Aid wasn't about to help her settle her craving and Aelia would rather jump off a cliff than sacrifice her pride and go to Ironhide.

She would much rather suffer. Hell, she would _die_ before talking to Ironhide. Just the thought of what he pulled, lying to her and going under the name of 'Isaac'...

Clenching her teeth and good hand at the thought, she hobbled down and locked herself in the bathroom. It only took her a few minutes to do her business and begin washing her hands in the sink. Aelia had to be cautious, as her stitches were still raw and itchy, and her bad hand tended to shake more after her injuries.

She stopped short after drying her hands off, catching sight of her reflection in the mirror over the sink.

Bloodshot eyes stared back, tired and pained. Stressed beyond belief. Heavy bags pulled under her eyes, and her scars seemed more pronounced than normal. Hair, greasy from lack of washing, hung around her face disgustingly.

Aelia grimaced and mused that, at the very least, her face had been kept clean, preventing breakouts from starting. But that didn't stop the skin from paling dramatically, leaving bare the blackened veins beneath- which seemed more than just her cravings for her addiction. Not that she would complain about it. Aelia wasn't one to whine about anything, or bring anything to the attention of others. It was more her way to silently bear it, without a word.

Snorting to herself and turning, she shouldered her way out of the bathroom.

"You alright?" Concerned and kind as always, First Aid seemed to frown at her from his work desk, where he had stacks of bright blue, see through… paper? Paper, that he was looking through.

"Yeah, yeah, 'm fine." Aelia snapped, head pulsing, wishing he would just mind his own business,

"You don't _look_ fine." He prodded gently,

"I said I'm FINE so why don't you just mind your own-" Aelia stumbled sideways, swaying and blinking as a wave of absolute _nastiness_ washed over her. Something was wet on her face. Was she crying?

But it wasn't water she wiped away.

Blood coated the back of her hand, where she had wiped her face. She was crying blood.

First Aid was already lunging out of his seat, calling out to her in a panic. But Aelia couldn't hear him so well, as her ears were ringing now. Loud, insistent and laced with static. One hand braced against the floor, she raised her other, shaking, to rest it against her ear.

While she couldn't feel much of the skin with her mangled hand, she _could_ feel the wetness steadily leaking out.

A cough ripped itself out of Aelia's mouth, and her chest spasmed, forcing her to keep coughing once she had started. Slowly, but harshly, in sharp spats, bright red began decorating the floor beneath her. Spattering wildly over the flat metal. She could feel her body shaking, and Aelia wondered if this was a seizure, or if she was going into shock.

Maybe she was finally dying, and this had all been a feverish dream. It seemed likely.

Her body was lifted off the ground, and a familiar voice filtered in slowly from just beyond the pressure and static. Isaac? Aelia's foggy mind, desperate and pained, struggled and grasped for a name. But that was all that came to her, despite knowing it was _wrong_.

 _Wrong, wrong,_ _ **wrong**_.

Her vision blurred as her body was moved. Aelia dangled for a moment, briefly struggling before going limp. She was sat up against a hard, warm surface, and Isaac's face came into view. There was a sense of emotional pain in her chest, a want to cry, alongside something warm and soft that had her wanting a hug from him. But it only made the pain that much worse.

The coughing stopped, but was replaced by a desperate wheezing. There was the familiar, terrifying feeling of her lungs being filled, but Aelia couldn't remember where she remembered it from. Like, the sensation, without the memory itself. It was terrifying, jolting.

But Isaac's worried, distressed expression made things a little easier to handle. His lips kept moving, and Aelia fancied that he was trying to reassure her. To tell her that everything would be okay. She wished she could believe it. Or that she could at least talk back to him. But her throat was like broken glass and rough asphalt, and her chest was a furnace filled with ice.

Everything was overly painful.

Aelia was abruptly snatched away from him, and she would have screamed, both in outrage and startlement, had her body been in better condition. Isaac was replaced by someone both familiar, and not. He was white, with red streaks, and Aelia struggled to figure out if she had seen him before in a dream, or if she had _really_ seen him.

It didn't seem to matter, but it bugged her all the same.

A red beam came from him- was it his eye? Or his finger?- and raced over her body. He seemed to curse- at least she figured it was a curse, given his anger- and laid her out on another surface. This one seemed comfortable, and had her laying flat. But that didn't matter. All that mattered was locating Isaac again. She threw her head this way and that, but couldn't find him. Not until he was suddenly at her side, as though he had appeared out of thin air.

But this wasn't his metallic body. It was _her_ Isaac. The one she remembered so fondly. He knelt beside her, eyes wide and pleading, and held one of her hands tightly between her own. His scarred eye seemed so sad in that moment.

She wished she could reach up and touch his face. Reassure him, somehow.

But she couldn't. It seemed that Isaac was saying something to her, but Aelia couldn't make it out. It seemed important, vitaly so, but that didn't make it any easier to comprehend. There was a prick, somewhere far over on the other side of her body, but that didn't matter. Isaac's voice continued, warm, rumbling, and soothing.

Rhythmic, comforting, soft.

Before Aelia knew it, it had pulled her under, into that waiting, velvety darkness, and she was asleep. Her body gave up the chase, and relaxed, accepting that the fight was over. The wheezing eased into an easier, deeper way of breathing, and her muscles stopped trying to snap her bones in an effort to stop the pain.

Isaac breathed a sigh of relief, but didn't let go of Aelia's hand.

"Ironhide… this is silly." Ratchet sighed, leaning back on a nearby berth tiredly,

"What the hell happened, Ratch'?" Ironhide, in no mood to answer his questions, barked one of his own fiercely, ready to take his head off.

"I suspect her withdrawals. Quitting cold turkey isn't easy. For us… or for them." He reached up and rubbed the bridge of his nose,

"That wasn't just it. I've seen that. This was… this was more." Ironhide accused, clenching his jaw. Ratchet was used to his old friend's ways, but this new attitude miffed him a little.

"Well, I dunno, Ironhide, what do you think? An ancient artifact _bound_ itself to her and we have _no idea_ what it is or what it does fully. We know the concept of it, but none of the _depth_. What do YOU think?"

Ironhide was silent, refusing to meet his gaze and instead focusing on the scarred up woman in front of him. His spark pulsated painfully. More so than it had before.

"We don't know enough about the Modium." Ratchet softened, sighing and releasing the pent up stress in his chest, "They were used to store information, but on that ideal alone, it shouldn't have affected her at all." he rubbed at his forehead, silently wishing Bobbi were there.

Her presence alone tended to ease whatever trouble he was facing.

"But?" Ironhide prodded gruffly, his voice a low growl,

"Its changed her cells somehow." Ratchet folded his arms over his chest and tilted his head back. Three days of no sleep, none stop study and he was ready to just crash.

"Changed." He repeated, looking up at his old friend for the first time. Ratchet knew him well. Had known Ironhide since they were both young, back in the fading years of the golden age.

But he had never seen him so… poker faced.

"Changed." Ratchet nodded, confirming, "The energy of the Modium has bound itself to her blood cells. I don't understand how, or for what purpose, but we're going to keep looking." he groaned, "In the meantime, get her some nicotine and stick close to her. First Aid's too busy as is."

"Red Alert?" Ironhide felt himself go stiff. He and Aelia were not on… friendly terms, to say the least.

"Busy." A grunt was his response, "The only people that don't have their hands fully right now are you, the terror twins, and Blurr. And I don't see any of the other three mingling well with our new… guest."

"Better than me at the moment." Ironhide protested,

"Just do it, Ironhide." Ratchet pushed off the berth, standing to his full height and stretching a little. His joints pulled, creaking under the pressure, before loosening when he laid his arms back down. Ironhide grumped at him, but said nothing else on the matter, his spark pulsating, rather pleased with this new development.

"Ironhide." Ratchet stopped short, just before turning and heading to go pick up Bobbi from her physical training regimine. Ironhide said nothing, even going so far as to turn his head away from his old friend further. The medic knew that movement. Ironhide didn't want to talk, or face him, because he _knew_ what Ratchet was going to say, and he _knew_ it was true; but didn't want to respond to it or give himself away.

Ratchet said it anyway, "Don't let this slip through your fingers."

Ironhide hunched down a little further, but refused to reply. His pride was at stake, just as much as Aelia's, and it was more than a little difficult to see past. Being terrified she was going to die was one thing. But once she was safe and out of the fire- well that was something completely and utterly different.

Seeing as he wasn't going to be able to pull a conversation out of one of his oldest friends, Ratchet turned and made his way out the door. He was more than ready for his mate, and some extreme rest.

He wondered if that was also a sport for humans.

Given their strange competitions, from TV to The Olympics, he wouldn't be surprised in the slightest. Chuckling and shaking his head, Ratchet picked up his pace, and left Ironhide behind with an unconscious Aelia.

Now alone in the medbay, bar First Aid, who was working in the back, Ironhide huffed and settled down for the long wait ahead of him. Aelia certainly wouldn't thank him for any of it, once she was fully awake and herself again, but there wasn't any way- between Ratchet and his own spark- that he could leave while she was in such a delicate, critical stage.

Checking to make sure her IV was in place and still in order, he took a deep breath and rubbed at his face.

"Yer somethin' else."

 **(AN: 8 years of chasing and I finally got my best friend to realize she was gay. I was patient, subtle, non-pushy, and at last... AT LAST. AFTER 8 YEARS IN THE FAMILY ZONE! :D Lemme just celebrate by throwing a chapter at you all. I'm so fuckin' happy and content, no joke. I tried to move past her after the abrupt 'Your the best sister ever' bit, but I'm kinda glad it didn't work out. Cause I've never been so elated. c: Expect more soon, lovelies!)**


	16. Mirror Face

Feverish. Clammy. Tight.

It was almost like having the flu. Aelia couldn't remember the last time she was even remotely sick. Surprising, given her long term residency in New York, but she had always had a tough immune system.

She could remember waking briefly, amid the tightness, heat, and pain. Isaac's- no, Ironhide's- face swam into view. Aelia struggled to focus on him, but his image kept moving, like a heat mirage. She did her best not to vomit.

"Sleep. Rest." His deep rumble fell over Aelia, relaxing her. Ironhide's hand, blessedly cool, touched over her forehead. Groaning and turning further into it, she fell back under, her mangled hand aching and burning, fiercer than any other part of her body.

Why was everything so… so… _no_. Everything was just no.

Her dreams became feverish and unrealistic. Bounding between hyper realistic with things that didn't make any sense- such as her laundry basket talking and being sentient or the president being a possum- and right into warped and cartoony. Aelia's body vibrated under the stress, straining against this strange disease that had grabbed her so tight.

When she had struggled back to the surface, blinking slowly at the fuzz and doubling of her vision, she found herself surrounded. Three Ironhide's and three more white and red robots swirled around her berth. Nausea rabidly inflated inside, but all Aelia could manage was a small whimper. When had she gotten so weak and pitiful?

Aelia heaved, but whatever came up, ended up sliding right back down, provoking her to make more desperate, broken noises, and struggle not to cry, as tears leaked out of her eyes regardless. Where was she anymore? It didn't seem to be planet Earth, given that it felt like it was whirling around her at high speeds.

The three red and white robots picked up a familiar object in a pair of giant tongs. Honeycomb in shape, it provided both a sense of hatred, and a sense of immense comfort. She was so happy, and yet incredibly terrified to see it.

Apparently uncaring as to how Aelia felt about it, he brought it closer, and pressed it into the crook of her elbow. Unable to reach her good hand, he had instead chosen her crippled arm to work with. The moment it's cold- and yet, strangely warm- surface touched her skin, there was the ultimate sensation of absolute relief. It was like something had ran over her, clearing away all the cobwebs inside and leaving her clean and healthy.

Gaping, blinking, Aelia stared into the nothingness. Before, without warning, falling right back into an exhausted sleep.

Time no longer had meaning for her.

Aelia began to dream of a time before her uncle's funeral. A time when she still lived in New York. Feverish, highly realistic, and yet not at the same time, it was strange, surreal, and provided a sense of anxiety along the way.

She knew what happened here already, even if she didn't actively remember as she dreamed it.

The streets of New York were normally crowded. But this part had been cleared by officials for a speech of some kind, by some important man. Aelia couldn't recall who. She didn't care who he was, or what he ran for. Somehow, it was always the same in the end. She was there to do her job, and she honestly didn't mind if people liked him. Just if they hated him; as it would make her work more difficult the more people were gunning for him.

Standing just to the side and perked up, watching for trouble, Aelia remained out of sigh, scanning the rooftops and nearby crowds of people that were slowly gathering. Most looked curious, having probably heard of this man through some form of social outlet or media. He was running for one of the political spots. Maybe Mayor, but Aelia didn't know.

She glanced to the side at the other hired bodyguards and gave a small nod; though they were more perimeter security around the edges of their employer, while she retained the position of personal bodyguard. They gave a small nod back.

A silent conversation passed. Each telling the other that the air was clear. There were no threats to be seen. Even while the speech was ongoing, there was no hint of any malicious intent. Just open curiosity and some outrage. Calls for him to get off stage, and encouraging yells. Both sides listening and reacting.

But it was hard to see everyone in such a large crowd. And it went south quick.

First came the initial, but far too late call of a perimeter breach. The small earbud perched around the shell of her ear squaked, and Aelia was instantly on alert. She couldn't see anything in the crowd to indicate the threat. No gun, no large backpack, not anything. No angry face, scorned by a need for revenge. Just people, reacting to the speech.

One of the guards gestured for the political man to finish quick so they could get him out of there, but he gave a minute shake of his head, and continued. Aelia could understand that. There was a need to stick to your job, no matter the consequence. She shared in that. Which is why, when the loud bang bomb went off, shaking the ground and throwing debris everywhere, she dove forward to _do_ her job.

The killer had intended for the bomb to kill people, and cover up the fact that he was shooting at her employer. People were screaming and running, chaos reigned supreme. But Aelia didn't know any of that, and she didn't care. Her job was simple: Protect the man that hired her.

It was her job, it was what she knew best.

Throwing herself between the killer-to-be and the man she didn't know anything about, moving with a speed she rarely used.

Tackling the suited man to the ground she covered him with her body and began slowly dragging him along as she crawled, intending to get him safely to safety. Where the rest of the guards were, she didn't know. Maybe they had run, maybe they had tried to evacuate the civilians, or perhaps they were trying to get the one responsible.

All Aelia knew was that she was getting this man to safety, and her trauma was trying to crop back up with a fierceness. She had never liked anything loud, from explosions and gunshots, to fireworks.

Strange, given part of her profession.

Aelia shoved the man off and behind the stage, believing the wood would offer some protection, before rolling off after him. Landing beside him, she dragged him to his feet, grunting at him to keeping _moving_.

He stuttered and stumbled, terrified out of his mind and trying to keep up with her movements. But when he looked back at her for direction and protection, he froze. His eyes widened in horror. His mouth moved, but Aelia couldn't hear him anymore.

When had static entered her ears? It was like cotton had been stuffed inside.

Looking down at where he was staring, Aelia found herself starting in surprise at the amount of blood that was running down her legs from her back, and the amount coming down over her shoulder, and who knew where else.

Had she been shot? Where? Adrenaline and shock must have kept the pain at bay. Without a word, she swayed, and topled, crumbling to the ground at his feet.

Broken, tired, and injured, she let the world burn around her.

Aelia jolted up in bed, panting and sweating, coming back to the med bay she had passed out in. It was jarring, on multiple levels, and didn't sink in for a few minutes. She was still there, somehow, in the back of her mind. Back in that pain, back in that trauma. Back in that _hospital_. Hell, she was in one _now_ and it certainly didn't help with that slowly receding echo.

Her good hand came up, trembling violently, to hold onto the back of her head. The short, greasy strands there wrapped around her fingers, as if holding her back.

It was the closest, Aelia was certain, she would ever get to being held by a lover. She had herself. Herself.

That had to be enough.

But it wasn't. When was it ever? Aelia shut her eyes tight, struggling to block out the white walls, and the sterile smell. She had spent much of her life in a place like this, and it had never been pleasant. But hadn't she done this to herself? Going from sixteen and having a ruined arm, to becoming a dojo instructor and freelance bodyguard?

Somehow, Aelia felt cheated. It was frightening, and hurt, but it was all she had ever been good at. She was large, not as smart as others, and… not pretty. Her mind echoed with the scars that covered her body. Pain and pride mixed. And through it all, she could _still_ feel every aspect of her dream, clinging to her skin like sprinkling rain.

The loud noises, the screaming, the bomb, the bullets flying, the blood, and the pain. It wasn't the first time she had seen such violence, but it had been the first and only time she had witnessed at on that _scale_. New York was nasty. Gang violence and such galore, but bombings weren't exactly common. That she was aware of, anyway.

At least, Aelia struggled to comfort herself, she had managed to save her employer. That was what had mattered. He had been a kind enough man, paying for her hospital bills and giving her a small bonus for her work. A job well done.

But she hadn't been enough, and she hadn't been called back to continue for the rest of his campaign. Understandable, given that she was injured and he probably wanted to upgrade to something more secure after that.

But there was still the unreasonable, illogical hurt from _everything_ that piled inside of her.

Aelia shuddered and tried to shake away the darkness that slowly crept in over her mind. She was enough. She was enough for herself. She was enough for _Geneva_. That should be enough for her. Right?

Yet she had failed Geneva. She had failed herself.

Aelia hadn't been enough to protect either of them. And then, Isaac- _no Ironhide_. She was still getting used to his new name. Still getting used to the fact that she hadn't been enough for him _either_. He had lied to her. Perhaps for good reason, but he hadn't trusted her judgement enough to trust her with the truth. To let her in on what was going on and bring their friendship closer. Yet, hadn't she tried her best to keep him at arm's length?

Her chest ached fiercely as she tried to reason away the pain, and failed.

Maybe he hadn't cared to knock down her walls completely then.

Her mangled hand ached alongside her pulsating heart, and she curled it tightly into a fist. It hurt worse, straining against the injuries that had been dealt to it, but she found herself not caring. Everything was muddled in her head, and didn't make sense. Aelia was _tired_. Exhausted. Both physically, and emotionally.

She loosened the grip she had on her head, releasing the hair there and lifting the ache that had been settling in her scalp. Aelia hadn't noticed.

What did she do now? She had no job, no reason to keep going, and Geneva was in a coma. She had nothing, and Aelia writhed with that knowledge. She was alone again. _Again_. She had lost everything. _Again_.

The only person she had- no. No. She was still angry. Still so hurt. She _couldn't_.

"Easy. Nightmare?" A soft, rumbling, comforting voice filtered over her. And yet it was still so gruff. Scarred by the years he had lived, and the mystery of his life. Aelia froze. He wasn't supposed to _be_ here.

She hated him. She _hated_ him. But not really, not exactly. Yet, that was what she told herself.

"Ironhide." The rasp was more sandpaper-y than normal, and Aelia realized just how _sick_ she felt. There was still the feverish, clammy like effect over her body, though it had receded and become less prominent, and there was still the painful flu like heartbeat through her joints and head. She winced. She must be quite the sight. Sick, nasty, and crippled. It made her even more angry.

"How do you feel?"

 **(AN: Yuh oh. It has NOT been that long since the fight and they already have to deal with each other again. Here we go! Also, a look into Aelia's past and what her jobs were! :D**

 **For those interested, I have added new things to my etsy shop. If interested, the link can be found on my profile page. Or, if you want to search me up, I'm 'TangledVision'. Happy holidays, and stay warm!)**


	17. Flickering Flame

"Oh, I'm jus' absolutely _buttery_." Aelia rasped out with a sharp, bitter laugh, though she wasn't quite sure what her own statement even _meant_. She felt drugged. Everything was moving so slow, and yet so quickly at the same time. As if she were caught up in some fast paced storm, but it was happening in the Matrix. She felt so sick, and perfectly fine at the same time.

And then there was the skin crawling sensation Aelia knew so well.

Her shoulders and arms felt like they were being assaulted by thousands of bugs, crawling and clawing at her skin desperately. Either trying to burrow in, or dig their way out. Oversensitivity. Something that had taken well into her twenties to associate with stress and panic. Her whole world was coming down around her head like shattered glass, and it was taking everything she had to hold it together.

Aelia wouldn't let Ironhide see. She couldn't.

"Lia…" Ironhide reached out for her, and she purposefully leaned away,

"Its _Aelia_." The hostility in her tone was colder than ice, and had him flinching back just slightly, before retracting completely.

"Its okay."  
"Who said it wasn't?"

"Your distressed."  
"Oh, yes, because _Isaac_ knows everything." Aelia kept throwing that back in his face. She wasn't even quite sure why she kept up her snappish behavior, except that it was impulse like, and she was hurt. She was hurt and she wanted him to hurt. Even if it wasn't healthy for either of them.

"I can smell you. The chemicals. They tell me your in pain, even if my scanners can't locate a wound." He was untouched by her comment, rumbling deeply and staring at her, as if he was able to see right through her. It made her uncomfortable. And it hurt Aelia further, knowing that her snippy comment _didn't_ hurt him.

"Here, this should help." Holding his hand out again, seeming more confident, Ironhide offered her a familiar cardboard carton.

She broke.

Tears began to pour, and for a moment, she just shook. He opened his mouth in surprise, maybe to comfort her? Aelia didn't know. Didn't care. Here she was, purposely trying to hurt and push him away, and he was just trying to help her. Over, and over, and over again. The little things. Letting them bounce off of him as if they weren't like knives.

Her body bowed over itself, until Aelia was practically hugging her knees.

When had she started sobbing vocally? She could only keep track of the pain that beat in her chest. Snot, tears, and screams mixed. Shaking her body down to its core. Crying was never pretty. Never elegant and beautiful. It was _raw_ and _nasty_ and a true form of _sorrow_ and distress. And Aelia had denied herself that for so long it was like the pain of pulling teeth to let it all out. It built within her like a hurricane, and threw itself around, drowning out Ironhide's concerned calls, and First Aid's entrance.

"What's going on?! What did you do? Ironhide!" First Aid, riled up, came charging into the room, prepared to throw himself between the Autobot and his patient,

"Aid, do me a favor and leave." Ironhide grunted, "I got this." First Aid hesitated, glancing first at his concerned ally, and then down at the screaming, sobbing human on the berth. She raised her arms and beat them against the surface, making him flinch violently with the desire to protect, heal, and make it all better. The only time he had ever seen something like this in his own people, was when one lost their mate, or their sparkling.

Or something most painful of that nature. And something told him, soft and dark, that this wasn't something he could help with.

"I'm trusting you with this, Ironhide. Call me if you need help." He gave in, like the gentle soul he was, and retreated hastily, back into the backroom with the supplies.

Aelia slammed her fists into the berth roughly again. Everything was so _screwy_. Her aunt, that _stupid_ modium, and now Isaac! And everything in between! Why? _Why?_ _ **Why?**_

She hadn't asked for any of this. Any of it! So why had it happened? Had her uncle known it would turn out like this? Why had he done it? She wished she could ask him. Yell at him. Something, anything instead of being left in the dark like this.

It had all happened overnight, and there was _nothing_ she could do about it.

Her aunt was in a coma, her arm was still mangled, she was injured, Isaac and everything he was was a _lie_ \- and- and- and-

"Aelia. Breathe." The dark rumble in her ear had her gasping for breath and wheezing through the tears. Her strength was gone. She couldn't carry the world on her shoulders any longer. This was too much. Too much for any one person.

"Its okay. I know." It rolled over her, soothing and soft. She stopped thrashing. Hands clenching the top of the berth tightly, until it was painful, Aelia just laid there, trembling, bent over herself.

"Its okay to need help, you know. I know you hate me right now, and everything hurts- but it's going to be okay. I'm gonna make sure of it." Ironhide had knelt beside the berth, and lowered his helm until it was right next to Aelia's body. As she shook with broken, spark wrenching sobs, he brought his hand up and cradled her close to his face, cupping it around her like a shield. It didn't matter that the position was uncomfortable, or that the human custom of 'crying' was gross. He needed to be here, just as much as she needed him.

His spark demanded it.

Continuing to whisper and murmur to Aelia, Ironhide stayed like that with her for a good, solid thirty minutes as she wept out every ion of pain she had stored up inside of her for Primus knew how long. Pit, he could almost _feel_ it coming off of her in waves. It made his spark twist and lunge, desperate to help make the hurt go away.

It was highly possible, he realized, that Aelia had only been attacking him so fiercely because she was so hurt, and he was the only one she could target. Geneva was her aunt, and free from blame, but Aelia didn't really know anyone else to lash out at besides strangers. And she was already doing that enough as it was.

Ironhide wished he could do more. But as it stood, if he picked her up and put her on his chest, she was likely to throw a screaming fit and try to attack him or something. He wouldn't put it past her, as violent and untouchable as she was. Or, maybe, worse still, she would cry harder, and break further. That thought alone was enough to make his spark hum at a higher, more distressed pitch.

He would much rather she fight him.

Finally, Aelia went quiet. Staring down at the berth with a glazed, fixated look, she refused to lift her head.

"Why?" Her voice was pitiful. Stuffed sounded, low, gutteral, and more masculine than ever. She hated it. She _hated_ it. And yet, couldn't conjure her normal feelings of self loathing. She had already cried everything out. Numbness had taken the place of emotion. No more pain, or anger. Even her feelings towards Ironhide were null.

"Explain." Ironhide grunted, refusing to move from his uncomfortable position,

"You know what I mean." Aelia felt her body sag further, as if running on pure fumes at this point.

"Because your like me." It was simple to him. Was it more complicated for her?

"I was trying to make you hate me." Even to her own ears, it sounded pitiful, like an excuse falling short, "Your not supposed to be like this."

"Why?" Ironhide frowned, mirroring her. Not mockingly, but simply to echo her disbelief from earlier.  
"Your going to hurt me again." Aelia laughed, but it was hollow. She needed something to fill in the awkward space she knew would follow.

"How can you be sure?"  
"Fire always burns."

Silence reigned for a few moments. Then he drew back.

Ice filled her. As if his close presence had been keeping it all away. As if he _had_ been her shield against herself, and the world.

"Watch." Ironhide commanded,

"Why should I?" Aelia tried hard to summon her same rebellious antics, but found it more shell like than anything. She didn't have anything left.

"Just do it." He braced back, and held an arm out, grimacing. No matter how many years he spent on the battlefield, no matter how many times he was injured, the pain was always the same. And he still hissed when he grabbed one of his fingers with his opposing hand, and forcefully popped it to the side. One of the cables making up his 'veins' cracked, and a beautiful, bright blue liquid began to seep out.

"What-" Her brow furrowed. What was he doing? Was that his blood?

"Shush." Ironhide commanded, and for once, Aelia listened. Then, he cracked one of the fingers on his opposing hand against the finger that was bleeding, causing a spark. The spark quickly took to the blue liquid, almost like a firefly enticed by the glow of a streetlamp.

If streetlamps were as pretty as whatever that was.

Aelia heard herself gasp as the spark turned into a wildly dancing blue flame. Eating at the liquid like a far more calm version of gasoline. Like germ-x on fire, but more refined and glittery. It was indescribable, and one of the most beautiful, breath taking things she had ever seen.

"Here. Touch the flame. Not the liquid- just the fire." Ironhide held out his finger to her, a firm, strong tone to his voice. Aelia gave him a doubtful look, finding it difficult to look away from the flame, and quickly had to look back.

"Just… I know you don't trust me right now. But just for a moment, okay?" Ironhide coaxed her. Awkward and pleading and slightly gruff, but gentle all the same, in his own way. Aelia hesitated a few more seconds.

The flame danced lazily, enticingly. Flickering back and forth peacefully. Was it painful for him, she wondered? And then scolded herself. If it was, then why was she waiting and letting it burn more? Swallowing thickly, Aelia braced herself. She wouldn't use her good hand- she wanted to keep it as her good hand. So, taking a deep breath through her mouth as her nose was stuffy, she awkwardly brought out her mangled hand-

And shoved it into the giant flickering blue flame.

There was a strange, cold warmth at first. Strange and alien enough to make Aelia believe she was burning. She flinched away, yanking her hand free, only to stare down at it in startled confusion at her untouched skin. No burn, no pain. Just a weird tingling sensation. And yet, strangely pleasant.

"It's not gonna burn you." Ironhide grunted, amused, but Aelia didn't reply. Instead, she pushed her good hand into the flame, watching how it enveloped, and danced around it. Like an elegant and powerful entity. It was strangely therapeutic. Calming.

"Not all fire burns." His murmur was soft and low, "Pit, sometimes it's not even warm."

"It's… pretty." Aelia struggled for a way to describe it. To compliment it.

"Yeah. Long as you don't touch the Energon raw or inhale the fumes from it."

"Energon?"  
"The blue stuff." He gave a have shrug with a gruff grunt.

"Ah. Whats it do if you touch it?" Her voice slowly cleared back up as the mucus stopped stuffing her nose, and the mental breakdown passed.

"Energon? Leave ya' with acid scars. Permanent. 'S really not good for you squishies." Ironhide chuckled, soft and amused.

"The fumes?" Aelia turned her hand over slowly, playing with the fire,

"Burn ya from the inside out. Scar yer lungs up. Sometimes worse."

"But it's okay to touch the flames?"  
"Yeah. Weird, isn't it? I think it's because of a chemical reaction, but you'd have to ask Ratchet or Jackie."

Aelia didn't ask who those people were. Honestly, she didn't much care.

"No, that's okay. I don't need to know." Her eyes tracked the flame for a moment longer, before pulling her hand free,

"Aelia, I promise, whatever happens-" Ironhide hesitated as he slowly put the fire out and worked to stop his bleeding, "I'm gonna be here, alright? We'll work it out."

She was quiet for a long moment, just sitting there and considering everything that happened and her own unreasonableness. And finally, she spoke.

"Alright."

It was a long journey from being okay, and Aelia was still holding him accountable, but it was a start. A step in the right direction. And maybe, just maybe, they could get back to where they were.

But for the moment, Aelia settled on just breathing.

 **(AN: This was fun to write. I enjoyed just taking a moment to go with the flow and write what I felt. Was a nice change of pace, not having to try to plan stuff out and keep up with myself. This is certain a stress reliever, lol. Also, I'm gonna be 20 in November. Isn't that crazy? I think its crazy. Holy shit, that means I've been on this site for what, 4 years?! How time flies. Here's to many more to come.)**


	18. Stitching and Binding

"Here, you need this." Again, Ironhide extended the familiar cardboard box to her,

"Are those-?"  
"Your cigarettes, yeah." He dropped it into her waiting hand,

"I thought they were 'unhealthy' or whatever?" Aelia challenged him, a bit uncertain of where they stood with each other now. Since discovering his true nature, everything had been thrown into complete and utter turbulence. They certainly weren't friends again. That still laid tattered and laying on the ground. But, they had started again. They were slowly patching up the rips and picking it back up. While they would probably always have those patches, Aelia hoped they would one day be back to how they had been. Before all of this insanity.

"They are. But so is quitting cold turkey." Ironhide amended,

"And this just now occurred to everyone?" Aelia's voice was more than a little sardonic.

"We thought it was the right thing to do." The large robot shrugged uncomfortably under the human's heavy stare, "The modium was doin' weird things to ya'. We didn' wanna add to it…"  
"But you did." Aelia filled in the blanks, mapping out what he was saying easily,

"Yeah." Ironhide had no trouble admitting to it, though he carried no small amount of guilt alongside it. None of them had meant for things to go this way. It had been an accident.

"Huh." She popped a cigarette out of its carton and put it between her lips, lighting it up with the lighter located alongside the rest of the nicotine sticks.

"You good?"

"No. But better." Aelia grunted, feeling the toxins move through her, relaxing the throbbing parts of her brain and easing her lungs. Yes, this was certainly better. They were silent for several long moments. Awkward, and uncertain, unlike their prior silences. Now they didn't know what to say. What the other was thinking. There was a nervousness that hadn't been there before.

No doubt thanks to the lie Ironhide had weaved.  
"So… Ian." Aelia began, breathing out a slow cloud of smoke, "That… thing you used. What is it?"

"Sorry?" Ironhide's faceplates shifted as he frowned in confusion,

"You know." She huffed, feeling a little flustered as she fought for her words. She had never been particularly good with conversations. Not unless she felt comfortable in the situation. And Aelia was _far_ from comfortable here.

"That… that _human_ version of you." Aelia gestured her good hand at him, along with the lit cancer stick.

"Oh." Ironhide blinked, a strange, almost human-like motion. Then he tilted his head and thought for a moment, as if, he too, were trying to find his words.

"Its… a tool." He began carefully, "Its called a holoform." he seemed more on edge when it came to talking now. He, too, walked on eggshells around her, just like she did around him. As if she might explode again at any moment. Which, Aelia mused, was a fair concern. She didn't exactly have the best track record so far.

"Holoform? So… like holograms. Like what they have in Japan?" The strange blue-haired, leek twirling _thing_ Cindy had tried to show and explain to her went dancing through her head. She didn't get it.

"Kinda." Ironhide nodded, "But solid."  
"Well, duh." Aelia grumbled, puffing on her cigarette, eyeing him, "Do you control it completely? I mean, your robotic, but…"

Ironhide tried not to be offended or start anything, "It just like controlling another limb." he shrugged, "It can be stressful sometimes. I can't control it while doing anything else." he did his best to be open.

In so many ways, Aelia reminded him of Chromia. That _need_ for openness.

Chromia… his spark trembled, remembering the piece of him that was lost forever. His spark would never be whole again.

"Huh." Aelia mused again, drawing him out of his pain laced memories, "Do you pick what it looks like?"

"Kinda." Ironhide frowned deeply again, "I… control certain physical attributes." he couldn't remember the last time he had had an intellectual discussion with someone- it just wasn't his thing, "But, like, if I'm hurt, or something, it'll show. Can't hide that sorta thing." ah, and there went all of his vocal articulation. Right out the window.

He shrugged awkwardly, trying to move past it.

"Hm." She hummed, brow furrowed and thinking as she puffed around her second cigarette. The first lay at the bottom of the carton, crumpled and put out after she crushed it against her belt.

"That answer your question?"  
"Yeah." Aelia continued to stare downwards, thinking. It made Ironhide nervous.

"We only use 'em to blend it better. So we don't freak humans out." he tried to subtly reassure her, wanting to avoid another emotional outburst.

He could live without that.

"Or to lie to unsuspecting people." Aelia hadn't meant it as a jab, but it sounded like one nonetheless, and Ironhide winced, "Sorry."

"No, you're right." he glanced to the side, working his jaw.

They were silent again. For longer, this time, as they seemed to evaluate each other from a distance, without fully looking at each other. Then, Aelia went stiff and still abruptly, even stopping in her smoking. Ironhide froze, sensing something big coming and feeling dread coiling in his spark tightly.

"You control yer height." She spoke slowly,

"Yes? Only in holoform." He answered quickly, trying to quickly put out the spark before it lit a raging fire,

"I _was_ taller than you!" Aelia's head whipped up and she gaped at him from around her cigarette. Ironhide blinked, dumbfounded.

"Sorry?" He asked again, slowly, feeling out of the loop and like he had been hit by Devastator full force in the face.

"Before." Aelia struggled, surging to her feet and jabbing him in the upper thigh, "Outside the Lennox's house! I WAS taller than you!" she accused, suddenly filled with an energetic excitement, "That's why you wouldn't let me have the 'low spot'! _And you were taller the next time we met!_ "

Ironhide laughed. He couldn't help it. It was just so juvenile, insignificant, and he was filled with so much _relief_ that that was _all_ it was and-

He laughed. He laughed until his tanks hurt and his body was shaking. Tears didn't fill his eyes, that was biologically impossible. But his spark whirled faster and sparked wildly inside of his chest. The Cybertronian equivalent of the human's 'crying with laughter' response.

And just like that, the pressure, the tension, it was all lifted from the atmosphere.

"Hey! Stop laughing at me!" Aelia jabbed him in the thigh again, but couldn't help her own grin. This laugh sounded so much like his own. Not the one she had heard from his holoform, but this one. It was… pure. Not innocent, or naive. But filled with a pure joy she hadn't heard from him before. And it was only added to by the fact that this laugh actually fit.

It sounded as though it was _his._

Aelia could have listened to it forever. Or, at least, for a long while afterward. At least for a good few hours. It was so light and pleasant. So unlike everything she had been through so far. Like a lit candle in the dark.

"Shorty." Ironhide finally stopped laughing and snorted at her, grinning, his good eye twinkling,

"What'd you say to me?" she bared her teeth, but couldn't help the smile that fought its way through it. It all felt so surreal. As if, suddenly, they weren't fighting. All the craziness that had happened, and was still happening, was abruptly a million miles away from them.

"I wasn't the one that altered my height!" Aelia jabbed him again, ignoring the way her cigarette flickered and her hand started to ache. For once, her addiction wasn't on her the forefront of her mind. She would much rather focus on the here and now, with Ironhide.

There was something about him, something that wasn't there before, that drew her in and made her feel… complete? Whole? She didn't know. She couldn't quite place it.

But it was comfort and safety and _warmth_.

Aelia never wanted to let go.

But just as quickly as it came, it was gone, and they were back in the awkward space again. Where they couldn't quite make eye contact and felt out of place. Surreal and misinterpreted. It happened quickly, like a bag being cinched closed. Where the laughter died and they struggled for something more to say. For another joke to throw out there. Something, anything. But there wasn't. There wasn't anything to say that they could find that didn't seem forced or further uncomfortable.

They were both outside of their comfort zones.

"Here, Ratch' says you need to hold onto this." Ironhide grunted, a more rough gruffness coating his voice. Maybe, Aelia mused, because he was just as awkward as she was. He held out a familiar, bright blue object, and she felt her stomach clench up abruptly.

"I don' want it." The defensive response came out quicker than a snarled snap from a wounded animal, and he flinched slightly. Reflexively.

Guilt, heavy, hot and thick rolled through her sickeningly.

"Yer body is goin' through withdrawals." He tried to reason with her, "It needs this. Or you'll hurt more." he didn't want that. He had seen too much already, and he had already seen what would happen to her if she _didn't_ have it near her.

And that scared him worse than the thought of going offline.

"Fine." Aelia clenched her teeth, choosing to just take him at his word this time. Ironhide had suffered enough for today, and it wouldn't _really_ hurt her just to hold onto it, would it?

She put her cigarette between her lips and grabbed the cursed thing.

The modium was warm in her hand. Soothing, almost. Like mustard on a burn or water on a parched throat. The remaining pain that rested inside of her fled, like shadows away from the light. What's more, she now felt- whole, for lack of a better word. As if a missing puzzle piece had been reunited with her. It was strange, and honestly?

Aelia hated it.

She was already so reliant on cigarettes. And she despised those all the same. Now, it felt, she was just adding to it and slowly becoming addicted to more things. Like a druggie. It had that same buzzing affect that cigarettes had on her. That same rush throughout her body that told her that this wasn't harmless. Aelia resisted the urge to try and crush it in the palm of her hand, instead glancing back up at Ironhide. He watched her with a calm sense of understanding. His good eye unusually dark.

"So, what is this thing, anyway?" Aelia mumbled around her cigarette, still puffing on it slowly. She wanted to use her hand to pull it away from her mouth, but she loathed to put the modium down now that she had it again. And there was no way she was pulling her crippled hand out from under her shirt. It was going to stay nice and tucked away.

"The modium?" Ironhide blinked, his face shifting again. It was almost hypnotic, watching the change in expression come over his face. Strangely satisfying and halfway frightening all at the same time. She wondered if flies and other insects ever got crushed between the many plates and if that was uncomfortable for him.

"Its…" Ironhide huffed, "We don't know." he grumped,

"You don't know?" Her eyebrows shot up,

"There's a few different kinds. We don't know which one." he shrugged his shoulders, looking uncomfortable. Which, Aelia could understand. She didn't like not knowing things either. But this was a little far- this held her life in its non-existent hands.

"Well, what _could_ it be then?" Aelia scowled,

"It could be a schematic. It could be a spark container. It could be an advanced power cell." Ironhide shifted under the weight of her gaze, "It could be any of those kinds of modiums. We don't know yet."

"You can't tell what your own tech is?" Aelia assumed it was their tech. Whose else could it be? Last she checked the human race wasn't making anything this advanced.

"We lost a lot of our culture and world to the war." Ironhide defended himself, frowning.

"Well, that's just _great_." Aelia leaned her head back with a groan and finally used her good hand to remove her cancer stick, choosing to tuck the modium into the crook of her elbow.

So what now, then?

 **(AN: IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ! My novel, Project Grapevine: Breath of Fear is now a go!**

 **I've self-published under the pen name 'J. Riverbell' so if you're interested in that, check me out on Amazon Kindle! The link is at the top of my profile as well. I downloaded Grammarly and spent WEEKS editing and getting it perfect so I'm SUPER proud of that. Also, expect an increase in quality from my writing cause Grammarly is fucking AWESOME.**

 **Also, my girlfriend and I will be doing vlogs just as soon as I can purchase the editing software. So if you wanna be around for fanfiction idea brainstorming and real-life stories, check out my Youtube, where I also do audiobooks. Right now, I'm doing "God's Demon" and will be doing a preview of my novel! So check me out, yeah? :D)**


	19. Balancing On A Blade

After awhile Aelia wasn't sure where one day ended and another began. She wasn't able to see the sun and everything began to blend together. Ironhide was firm on not allowing her to leave the med bay and hovered over her like a hawk. As if he were afraid Aelia would collapse again- though, honestly, she could kinda understand that part. To a degree.

He, Geneva and the modium remained her only sources for conversation and company. At the very least, Aelia didn't feel _too_ lonely.

But after a while, the walls started to press in a little close and her skin began to crawl. Not even nicotine could help her now. Especially since she had already smoked through her last carton and Ironhide was only slowly giving her a singular cigarette when she really needed it. Pushing her to her limit and doing his best to break her of the habit without inflicting harm.

She appreciated it, but at the same time, Aelia wanted nothing more than to sock him right in his stupid robotic face.

Luckily, Ratchet- a big red and white medic bot- allowed her to continue doing her katas. Supervised, but allowed. If he hadn't let her, Aelia was certain she would have lost it and thrown something at him. It helped break the monotony and kept her focused. This was all for Geneva. She needed the medical attention and Aelia wasn't about to leave her.

Until _they_ came to visit.

Aelia wasn't sure what day it was, or how many days had passed, or even how many times she had slept since arriving, when two new bots came to 'visit'. They moved quietly for beings so large. Sneaking through the med bay doors, they made their way in armed with paint buckets and rope, intentions of a prank or trap evident.

"That for Ratchet?" Aelia's grunt seemed to startle them and they both jumped before turning to glare at her.

"Maybe. What's it to ya?" Red huffed at her. Yellow turned from one way to the other, checking their surroundings, as if Ratchet was hiding around the corner and just waiting for them.

"By all means, go ahead. Just keep away from the injured squishies, huh?" Aelia jerked a thumb over her shoulder, where Geneva rested right behind her. And, inadvertently, at a deeply snoozing Ironhide.

Did they sleep? Or was this some kinda shutdown mode? Aelia didn't know.

The robots stared at her, then Geneva, and finally at Ironhide. Large matching grins crossed their faces. They exchanged a long debating look as if their plan were being called back into question. Aelia had to wonder if they were considering stopping or if they were just debating on their targets. It seemed like they were communicating silently and she wouldn't have been surprised if they had some kinda telephone in their heads.

They seemed high tech enough.

"We'll watch for the squishies." Red turned back to her and snickered before he and Yellow turned and crept further into the med bay, weapons in hand. Aelia debated carefully over who their target might be as they moved away from her and her aunt.

Ratchet? First Aid? Maybe that other medic she had seen around- Jolt?

The scream that followed thirty to forty minutes after had her nodding to herself. Ratchet. Definitely Ratchet. She had heard that scream before. Though last time it had been because someone had organized his tools wrong and even glued a few to the ceiling. There was still debate over who had done it. Aelia didn't know any of the names being thrown around, but from the smirk on Ironhide's face?

Someone had gotten bored.

Not that she blamed him, but he could have at least let her help. Or, hell, let her go for a walk outside. Nobody was stopping him from tagging along with, right?

Aelia watched, half bored as Red and Yellow went streaking past, cackling wildly with Ratchet right on their asses, paint dripping from everywhere and the cans tied around his ankles with the rope. He kept catching his odd ankle weights around everything, tripping and falling every few feet as he tried to catch the two trouble makers. She watched all three of them disappear out the door and into the darkness.

For a moment, it was silent.

"The terror twins are at it again." Ironhide chuckled softly, in an almost sleepy gruff way,

"Terror twins?" Aelia tilted her head back to look at him, not bothering to turn around completely,

"Yeah. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker."

"Huh." The names didn't mean much to her. Aelia put it out of her mind, leaned back and ended up drifting off into a nap.

XxX

"Hey. Hey, squishy. Hey. Hey. Hey." A voice slowly filtered into her head. Aelia groaned and tried to roll over, but something large and metallic stopped her.  
"I _said_ \- hey, squishy. You awake?"

"He's going to keep doing that until you answer him." Another voice joined the first.

"Whaddya want?" squinting her dark eyes open, Aelia glared at the source of the noise, only to blink, startled. There stood Red and Yellow from before.

"Uh…" a very intelligent noise came from her.

"Wanna go for a walk?" Red's mouth widened into a grin, showing off terrifying gray, gear like teeth to her.

"Yeah, but, why?" Aelia's brow furrowed and she pushed off the big metal object that had stopped her from rolling over- Red's finger.

"Tell you later, keep your voice down. Everyone's in recharge." Red raised a finger to his lips,

"Recharge?" Aelia murmured, lowing her voice,

"Sleep." Yellow grunted, looking around in an almost nervous fashion, watching their asses and making certain Ratchet wasn't hiding around a corner, just waiting to make his move.

"Oh." Aelia, not one to look a gifted horse in the mouth, rolled onto her feet and came closer to the edge of the berth. Geneva would be safe until she got back; Ironhide was still sleeping peacefully against the wall. Or, 'recharge' as Red had called it.

"C'mon, hop on." Red extended an open palmed hand to her, the same one he had stopped her from rolling over with. Aelia eyed it uncertain for a moment, feeling a sense of distrust creeping up her chest. But then the cabin fever won out and she hopped down into his hold, putting faith in the robot.

If he knew what was good for him, he wouldn't drop her. Simple as that.

"Sunny, cover me." Red bent over and hurried for the way out of the med bay, cupping her between his hands,

"Don't call me that, 'Sidey'," Yellow grumbled, but followed them closely while keeping an eye out all the same.

They crept out of the med bay together without being caught. Fascinated and heart pounding, certain they were going to be caught at any moment, Aelia looked around, watching everything as they moved through new territory. She hadn't had a clue as to how big the base actually _was_ , and now that she did, she highly doubted she could ever navigate it without getting lost. Especially carrying Geneva and getting around the large robots. Freedom wouldn't come quite so easily.

They moved down the hallway quickly, but quietly. It was empty and silent, giving everything a creepy, eerie feeling to it. There would be, once in a while, a human soldier- but Red and Yellow moved around them without slowing and left them behind, snickering.

Aelia peered over the tips of Red's fingers, watching everything whirl past her. Where were they going? She appreciated leaving the med bay and Ironhide's almost _smothering_ watch, but-

They were outside.

It was sudden and unexpected. One moment they were in the metal insides of the base and the next they were through a pair of warehouse-like doors. Moonlight and cool evening air hit her and seemed to gather her up. As if everything that was Aelia was suddenly being pulled to the forefront. It was a strange sensation. Dizzying and tightening. Her hand reached down into her pocket to tighten around the modium.

The thing Ironhide and Ratchet had refused to let her leave anywhere except in her pocket. Somehow, it grounded her, almost assuring her in its mere presence that everything was alright. The fresh air blew away the cobwebs that had formed in Aelia's mind and body and seemed to clean out her lungs with every deep breath she took.

Aelia had needed this. More than she had thought. Somewhere above her, a throat was cleared, scattering her thoughts again. She turned in the palm that held her, on her knees and without grace, and faced Red. His blue eyes glowed in the dim light and shadows. Seeming to pierce right through her. Intelligence unlike any she had ever seen gleamed in his eyes, different from an animal's or a fellow human's. As if he knew more than she could ever possibly comprehend and held the universe in his hands.

Then there was also the sudden feeling of danger. A glint of something not quite stable that filled the air around them with a silent but very real threat that had Aelia's arm hairs standing on end and saluting. These were not beings to be fully trusted. Not that they were bad or awful, but that something wasn't quite right with them upstairs and because of that they didn't need to be handed a loaded gun.

"So, gotta few questions for you, squishy." Red grinned, sitting down on a large rock just around the corner form the front door of the base,

"'Kay." Aelia grunted, shifting back onto her ass, "Name's Aelia."

"Alright, 'Aelia'." Red spoke her name awkwardly, with a thick inflection where there shouldn't have been one, "I'm Sideswipe and this is my brother Sunstreaker." he gestured with his free hand to Yellow.

"Yeah, Ironhide mentioned you guys. The Terror Twins." Aelia lifted one shoulder and dropped it carelessly in a halfshrug. But she watched his movements carefully. Her stomach was rolling something fierce and she wasn't fully sure where all the caution and slight fear was coming from. While they felt dangerous and like she shouldn't fully trust them, it also didn't feel like they would hurt her.

At least, not on purpose.

"Aw, he mentioned us? See Sunny, he _does_ care!" Sideswipe crooned, his eyes brightening,

"I told you not to call me that," Sunstreaker grumbled, coming a little closer. He seemed more volatile then his brother. More unstable and likely to snap. Maybe that was why Aelia's stomach felt like an ongoing hurricane.

"Don't be mad, sunflower." Sideswipe's mouth widened into an impossibly large grin. He turned back at Aelia, eyes locking onto her like lasers. "Mind if I ask you some questions?" it wasn't really a request. Not really. It seemed like one, but the tone and the way his eyes shifted was all wrong. A facade. Regardless of her answer, he was still going to ask questions- and he _was_ going to get his answers.

It was just the question of how far was he willing to go to get them.

"Sure, why not?" She gave another careless half shrug, the best she felt she could do in the current situation, "Go for it."

"Awesome. Now, whaddya know about that modium you've got in your pocket?" She froze. Like a statue. Still and rock-like. Something about that rubbed her fur the wrong way. Not his question in general, but the fact that he was asking about the modium. It felt beyond dangerous. As if a rattlesnake were waiting in a nearby bush to strike her and the only warning she was getting was the faint noise.

She licked her lips, chasing away the dryness there. Then she took a deep breath and steadied herself. Aelia hoped her lack of information on the object wouldn't trigger either of them. The last thing she needed was getting squished.

Sideswipe stared her down, waiting with a quickly fraying thread of patience.

"Funny story, actually…"

 **(AN: Writing this was like pulling teeth, sadly. Things have been hectic and difficult lately, and it makes writing feel more like a chore and stressful than the freedom it usually is. So I'm sorry if the energy isn't up to snuff in this chapter, but I really wanted to update this.**

 **Please check out my Youtube channel and my novel, I'd really appreciate it. See you guys in the next chapter.)**


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